Back to results
US 11,957,836 B2Granted
Drug dispensing controller and monitoring system for a ventilator
AssigneeiDTx Systems, Inc.
InventorMichael Spandorfer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An automated drug delivery and monitoring system for use on mechanically ventilated patients in the intensive care unit is presented. Medication in the form of respirable particles is transported through ventilator circuitry by a delivery unit. Multiple medications may be delivered into the gas flow of the ventilator, with each medication delivered in a defined dose for a frequency and interval as specified by an operator. The particles mixed into the gas flow of the ventilator are inhaled and ingested by the patent's lungs.
Claims20
A method for controlling medication dispensed to a ventilator circuit having tubing for conveying gas that extends between a mechanical ventilator and a patient, comprising:
- providing a housing comprising at least one pressurized metered dose inhaler (pMDI) canister and coupled to a gas conduit to form part of the ventilation circuit;
- actuating an actuator in the housing to release medication from the at least one pMDI canister held orthogonal to the gas conduit with a dispensing end of the pMDI canister held proximate the gas conduit in fluid communication with the ventilator circuit via the gas conduit to release medication from the dispensing end to the gas conduit then into the tubing of the ventilator circuit, wherein the actuation of the actuator is timed so that the medication from the at least one pMDI canister is automatically released from the at least one pMDI canister only during an inspiratory/inhale cycle with gas flow toward the patient;
- monitoring air pathway flow in the ventilator circuit to determine a change in patient airway resistance over time using a controller in communication with at least one sensor coupled to the ventilator circuit, wherein the controller is also in communication with the actuator;
- electronically identifying when a different or additional medication, an increase in dosage and/or a change in scheduled frequency of medication delivered by the at least one pMDI canister is needed based on the determined change in patient airway resistance based at least in part on data from the at least one sensor;
- automatically adjusting the release of medication with respect to the different or additional medication, the dosage and/or the change in scheduled frequency of medication delivered from the at least one pMDI canister based on the determined change in patient airway resistance;
- allowing an operator to adjust a defined dosage, delivery time and/or frequency of medication released by the at least one pMDI canister for the actuating;
- and
- displaying parameters including number of doses remaining for each of the at least one pMDI canister on a display in communication with the controller.
5 more elements
An automated medical system for controlling medication dispensed to a ventilator circuit having tubing for conveying gas that extends between a mechanical ventilator and a patient, comprising:
- a gas conduit having axially opposing first and second ends, each end being in-line with and adapted to attach to spaced apart segments of the tubing of the ventilator circuit to form part of the ventilation circuit;
- at least one pressurized metered dose inhaler (pMDI) canister held orthogonal to the gas conduit with a dispensing end of the pMDI canister held proximate the gas conduit in fluid communication with the ventilator circuit via the gas conduit;
- an actuator in communication with the at least one pMDI canister to press against the at least one pMDI canister to release medication from the dispensing end to the gas conduit then into the tubing of the ventilator circuit;
- a housing holding the gas conduit, the at least one pMDI canister and the actuator;
- a control unit in communication with the actuator, the control unit comprising an operator interface configured to allow an operator to adjust dosage and schedule medication dispensing for each of the at least one pMDI canister and to actuate the actuator to dispense medication from each of the at least one pMDI canister to the ventilator circuit at a defined dosage, delivery time and/or frequency, wherein the control unit monitors air pathway flow in the ventilator circuit and is configured to time actuation of the actuator so that medication from the at least one pMDI canister is released from the at least one pMDI canister only during an inspiratory/inhale cycle with gas flow toward the patient;
- at least one sensor in communication with the control unit and the ventilation circuit, the at least one sensor configured to provide data corresponding to at least one of a pressure in the ventilator circuit or a rate of change of pressure in the ventilator circuit and/or other gas flow characteristics, wherein the control unit is configured to determine the patient's ability to receive medication at least in part based on data from at least one sensor, and wherein the control unit automatically adjusts the dosage, delivery time and/or frequency of medication dispensed from the at least one pMDI canister based on the determined ability of the patient to receive medication;
- and
- a display in communication with the control unit for displaying parameters for each of the at least one pMDI canister.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.