Method of providing care to a patient

• US 7,771,385 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2005
• Issued: 08/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Carefusion 303 Incorporated (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: Carefusion 303 Incorporated (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Coffman, Damon J., Eggers, Philip N., Vanderveen, Timothy W., Schlotterbeck, David L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mendez; Manuel A
• Application Number:
  US11/318,018
• Publication Number:
  US 20060122867A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,691 Days
• Field of Search: 604 65- 67, 604/131, 604/690.1, 128/DIG.12, 128/DIG.13
• US Class Current: 604/65
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/031 Intracranial pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/411 Detecting or monitoring allergy or intolerance reactions to an allergenic agent or substance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/417 the bone marrow
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6054 Magnetic identification systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1413 Modular systems comprising interconnecting elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16827 controlling delivery of multiple fluids, e.g. sequencing, mixing or via separate flow-paths infusion of multiple fluids without using a controller A61M5/1407
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/172 electrical or electronic A61M5/16804, A61M5/16831 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/17 delivered via infusion or injection
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/20 relating to practices or guidelines
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/641 by indicating incorrect coupling; by indicating correct or full engagement
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/7038 making use of a remote controlled switch, e.g. relais, solid state switch activated by the engagement of the coupling parts
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/12 for medicine and surgery

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a system and method for providing care to a patient, comprising a patient care device having a number of configuration databases stored in a memory in the device. Each configuration database preferably includes protocols, operating limits, rule sets and/or operating features that collectively define an operating environment, or personality, of the device. Selection of a specific configuration database preferably is based at least in part upon patient-specific information obtained from any location in a distributed hospital network. Examples of such patient-specific information include patient age or size, patient medical characteristics, a location of the patient or a location of the care device. In a preferred embodiment, programming a patient care device to deliver a drug to a patient entails activating a configuration database and scanning a machine-readable drug label identifying a particular protocol stored in the activated database. The selected protocol includes default parameters for delivering the drug, and the label optionally includes instructions for deviating from the default protocol.

Claims

1. A method of providing care to a patient, comprising:

activating a configuration database from a plurality of configuration databases stored in a memory of a patient care device, said patient care device capable of providing patient therapies or monitoring the condition of a patient in accordance with the activated configuration database, wherein said configuration database comprises at least one protocol defining parameter for operating said patient care device, said at least one protocol comprising a plurality of fields of default operating parameters;

configuring said patient care device to operate in accordance with said activated configuration database;

selecting the patient care protocol from said activated configuration database; and

operating said patient care device in accordance with the operating parameters defined by the selected protocol to provide care to the patient.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the input device is a coded data input device or a network connection.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein activating the configuration database comprises positioning the patient care device at a location in a network of computers, such that the active configuration database is selected as a function of said location in the network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the configuration database comprises:

entering patient-specific information into said patient care device using an input device communicating with said patient care device; and

selecting the configuration database from said plurality of configuration databases based at least in part on said patient-specific information.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the patient-specific information is any of a location of the patient, a location of the patient care device, a network address, or a patient medical characteristic.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein activating a configuration database comprises selecting a configuration database from a menu of configuration databases using an input device in communication with the patient care device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting a patient care protocol comprises entering a protocol identifier corresponding to said patient care protocol using an input device in communication with the patient care device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said patient care protocol includes a drug identifier and at least one drug delivery parameter.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said at least one drug delivery parameter is any of a concentration, a container size, a dose, an bolus dose, a dose rate, a maximum dose rate, a minimum dose rate, a maximum cumulative dose, a volume or an adverse drug identifier.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting a patient care protocol comprises selecting the protocol from a menu of protocols displayed on a user interface of said patient care device using an input device in communication with said patient care device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said patient care device comprises:

an interface unit comprising the memory and a processor;

an input device in communicating with the interface unit, said input device adapted to enter patient-specific information into the interface unit; and

a functional unit communicating with the interface unit, said functional unit for providing the patient therapies or monitoring the condition of a patient in accordance with the activated configuration database.