Closed-Loop Anesthesia Control Using Indirect Analgesia Feedback

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current clinical anesthesia systems lack reliable measures for controlling the administration of analgesic agents, leading to inadequate analgesia, which can result in sub-optimal hypnosis control and potential patient awareness or cardiovascular issues, and there is a need for closed-loop systems that account for interactions between hypnotic and analgesic agents.

Innovation Solution

A closed-loop control system is developed that incorporates feedback from a depth of hypnosis index and pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic models to automatically control the infusion rates of both hypnotic and analgesic agents, using a combination of closed-loop and feedforward controllers to achieve stable and responsive analgesic delivery.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If manual monitoring and adjustment of drug infusion rates is used, then the anesthesiologist can respond to patient physiological changes, but the time and attention required increases cost and reduces efficiency

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveanesthesia control reliabilityVSAvoidanesthesiologist efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements closed-loop feedback control systems that continuously monitor patient physiological parameters (such as depth of hypnosis indices) and automatically adjust drug infusion rates accordingly. This feedback mechanism maintains reliable anesthesia control while eliminating the need for constant manual monitoring, thereby resolving the contradiction between reliability and productivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Productivity

If closed-loop control systems are implemented for automatic drug delivery, then anesthesiologist attention is reduced, but reliable measures for controlling analgesic agent administration are currently lacking

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveanesthesiologist efficiencyVSAvoidanalgesic control reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces intermediary variables such as depth of hypnosis indices and pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic models as mediators between the control system and drug delivery. These intermediaries translate complex physiological responses into controllable parameters, enabling reliable automatic control of both hypnotic and analgesic agents despite the lack of direct reliable measures for analgesic control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system employs parameter changes by utilizing multiple measurable parameters (depth of hypnosis indices, physiological signals) to infer and control analgesic agent effects. By changing from direct analgesic measurement to indirect parameter-based control, the system achieves reliable automated analgesic delivery.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If higher doses of hypnotic and analgesic agents are administered to ensure adequate anesthesia, then patient awareness and pain are prevented, but cardiovascular collapse and respiratory depression may occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveanesthesia adequacyVSAvoidcardiovascular and respiratory complications

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The closed-loop feedback systems continuously monitor patient response and adjust drug infusion rates in real-time, preventing both under-dosing (which would cause awareness or pain) and over-dosing (which would cause cardiovascular collapse or respiratory depression). This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between ensuring adequate anesthesia and avoiding harmful side effects.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

4Ease of manufacture

If separate control systems are used for hypnotic and analgesic agents, then each agent can be optimized independently, but the interactions between agents are not accounted for

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontrol system design simplicityVSAvoidanesthesia control accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the control of hypnotic and analgesic agents into an integrated closed-loop system that accounts for their interactions. By combining the control strategies and utilizing the fact that analgesic agents influence depth of hypnosis and vice versa, the system achieves more accurate and reliable anesthesia control than separate independent systems could provide.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS20260069777A1Systems and methods for controlled delivery of analgesic and hypnotic agents

Publication Date: 2026.03.12 THE UNIV OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

AI summary

The invention relates to administration of clinical anesthesia. Particular embodiments provide systems and methods for controlled delivery of a combination of an analgesic agent and a hypnotic agent. More specifically, the invention relates to closed-loop control systems/methods for automatically controlling the administration of a combination of a hypnotic agent and an analgesic agent in a clinical anesthesia setting which incorporate feedback based on one or more indirect measures/indicia of analgesia. The invention further relates to such control systems/methods that account for limitations of such indirect measures/indicia of analgesia.