Closed-Loop Infusion Control for Stable Patient Vital Signs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manual control of medication dosage rates during surgery to maintain blood pressure and other vitals is challenging, leading to frequent deviations from target ranges, which can be costly and detrimental to patient outcomes.
Innovation Solution
A closed-loop system and method that uses sensors and a control algorithm to continuously monitor vital signs and adjust medication dosage rates automatically, ensuring that the patient's vital signs remain within a target range by generating a revised dosage rate based on real-time data and making ongoing corrections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual control of medication dosage rates is used to maintain blood pressure, then medical professionals can adjust medication based on their judgment, but the patient spends significant time outside target range requiring continuous attention and increasing costs
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a closed-loop feedback mechanism where the processor continuously receives patient vital sign data, compares actual values to target ranges, and automatically adjusts medication dosage rates based on the differential value. This automated feedback loop maintains patient vitals within target ranges without requiring continuous manual intervention, resolving the contradiction between ease of manual operation and reliability of maintaining target range.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system performs self-adjustment of medication dosage rates by automatically calculating differentials between actual and target vital signs and generating revised dosage rates without human intervention. The system serves itself by monitoring its own performance and making corrective adjustments, eliminating the need for continuous medical professional attention while maintaining high reliability.
2Reliability
If frequent manual measurements and adjustments are made to optimize blood pressure, then better control can be achieved, but this requires continuous medical professional attention making it cost prohibitive
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces the mechanical process of manual measurement and adjustment with an automated electronic control system. The processor automatically receives vital sign data, calculates differentials, and adjusts dosage rates without requiring physical manual intervention. This substitution maintains excellent blood pressure control while eliminating the need for continuous medical professional presence, reducing operational complexity despite increased technological sophistication.
3Productivity
If manual adjustments are made based on snapshot views of vital signs, then adjustments can be made quickly, but the adjustments are arbitrary and patients remain outside target range most of the time
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements continuous monitoring and continuous adjustment capability, eliminating the snapshot approach. The processor constantly receives vital sign data and makes ongoing adjustments to dosage rates based on real-time differentials from target values. This continuous action ensures both high productivity through rapid response and high precision by basing adjustments on accurate, up-to-date measurements rather than arbitrary snapshot decisions.
Data Source
AI summary
Closed-loop systems and methods are described herein for regulating a flow of medication being intermittently infused to a patient based on one or more vital signs. The dosage rate of the medication can be adjusted periodically as needed to ensure the patient's vital sign remains with a target range. Various safeguards can be used to ensure the safety and efficacy of the closed-loop systems and methods.