Target Controlled Infusion Restart Safety via Stored Decay Time
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Solution Overview
Problem
During target controlled infusion operations, sudden stops due to technical failures or user intervention can lead to unsafe conditions when restarting infusion protocols, as the mathematical model resets, potentially causing drug overdose due to incorrect modeling of remaining drug concentrations in the patient's body.
Innovation Solution
The control device stores information derived from the mathematical model at multiple points during protocol execution and maintains this information after a stop, using it to assess when it is safe to restart a new infusion protocol by calculating a decay time for drug concentrations to return to negligible levels, and preventing premature restarts through warnings or prohibitions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the mathematical model is reset after a stop of infusion protocol execution, then the system can be simplified and ready for new operation, but the drug concentration modeling becomes inaccurate leading to potential overdose
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by calculating and storing the decay time of drug concentrations before stopping the infusion protocol. This pre-computed information is then reused when restarting the protocol, avoiding the need to reset the mathematical model while ensuring accurate drug concentration modeling from the start of the new protocol execution.
2Productivity
If the infusion protocol is restarted immediately after a stop, then operational efficiency is improved, but patient safety is compromised due to potential excessive drug levels
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by using the stored decay time information to dynamically adjust the restart timing of the infusion protocol. The mathematical model provides feedback on the current drug concentration state, and this feedback is used to determine the appropriate wait time before restarting, thereby preventing excessive drug levels while allowing efficient operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system calculates the decay time in advance and stores it for later use. This preliminary calculation allows the system to make informed decisions about protocol restart timing without requiring complex real-time calculations or risking patient safety through immediate restart.
3Measurement precision
If the mathematical model information is stored and maintained after protocol stop, then drug concentration accuracy is improved, but system complexity and memory requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the essential information needed for accurate modeling - specifically the decay time of drug concentrations - and stores it in memory. This selective extraction and storage of critical parameters maintains modeling accuracy while avoiding the complexity of storing and managing the entire mathematical model state.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for controlling a target controlled infusion for administering a drug to a patient (P) comprises at least one infusion device (31-33) for administering a drug to the patient (P) and a control device (2) configured to control operation of the at least one infusion device (31-33) in order to establish a drug concentration at an effect site within the patient (P) at or close to a target concentration. The control device (2) is configured to execute a target controlled infusion protocol using a mathematical model modelling a drug distribution in the patient's body for controlling operation of the at least one infusion device (31-33). The control device (2) is further configured to store, at a multiplicity of points in time (Ti . . . Ti+3) during execution of said target controlled infusion protocol, information derived from said mathematical model in a memory (21), to maintain at least a portion of said information in said memory (21) after a stop of execution of the target controlled infusion protocol, and to use said information in case of a start of execution of a target controlled infusion protocol after a prior stop.