Apparatus and method for providing a conscious patient relief from pain and anxiety associated with medical or surgical procedures

An apparatus for delivering drugs to a patient, said apparatus comprising:

• a drug delivery controller delivering a drug to a patient;
• an electronic controller connected to the drug delivery controller for varying the rate of delivery of drug to a patient;
• an automated consciousness monitoring system which generates a signal reflecting the consciousness level of a patient;
• and wherein said electronic controller is capable of varying the delivery of drug to the patient in accord with said signal.

A method for relieving patient pain or anxiety, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) monitoring at least one physiological condition of a patient with at least one electronic health monitor device;
• b) electronically monitoring the level of consciousness of a patient;
• and
• c) electronically managing the delivery of pain or anxiety relieving drugs to a patient in accord with the at least one physiological condition of a patient and the level of consciousness of a patient.

A method for alleviating pain and anxiety in connection with medical and surgical procedures, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) connecting to a patient a drug delivery device having a drug delivery controller supplying one or more drugs, said drug delivery controller being coupled to an electronic controller which controls the delivery of the drugs to the patient;
• b) attaching at least one patient health monitor device to a patient, which health monitor device generates a value reflecting at least one physiological condition of a patient and is coupled to said electronic controller;
• c) accessing a memory device which stores a safety data set reflecting parameters of at least one patient physiological condition;
• d) performing an automated assessment of the patient's physiological state;
• and
• e) delivering the drugs to the patient in accord with the safety data set.

An apparatus for delivering drugs to a patient, said apparatus comprising:

• a drug delivery controller delivering a drug to a patient;
• an electronic controller connected to the drug delivery controller for varying the rate of delivery of drug to a patient;
• an automated consciousness monitoring system which generates a signal reflecting the consciousness level of a patient, said automated consciousness monitoring system comprising a stimulator device which commands a patient and a response device for activation by the patient in response to the stimulator device;
• said response device generating signals having values reflecting the time it takes for the patient to activate the response device in response to the stimulator device, and providing said signals to the electronic controller;
• and wherein said electronic controller is capable of varying the delivery of drug to the patient in accord with said signal.

An apparatus for delivering drugs to a patient, said apparatus comprising:

• a drug delivery controller for delivering a drug to a patient;
• an electronic controller connected to the drug delivery controller for varying the rate of delivery of drug to the patient;
• an automated monitoring system which queries the responsiveness of the patient to stimuli and thereby generates a signal reflecting the consciousness level of the patient;
• and wherein said electronic controller is adapted to use said signal to vary delivery of drug to the patient in accord with said consciousness level.

An apparatus for delivering drugs to a conscious patient, said apparatus comprising:

• a drug delivery control device adapted to deliver a drug to a patient;
• an electronic controller connected to the drug delivery control device for varying the rate of delivery of drug to the patient;
• an automated consciousness monitoring system which generates a signal reflecting the consciousness level of the patient;
• and wherein said electronic controller is adapted to receive said signal and vary delivery of the drug to the patient in accord with said signal so as to ensure the consciousness of the patient.

A method for relieving patient pain or anxiety, said method comprising the steps of:

• establishing safe and undesirable parameters regarding the consciousness level of a patient being administered pain or anxiety relieving drugs;
• electronically monitoring the level of consciousness of the patient;
• and
• electronically managing the delivery of said pain or anxiety relieving drugs to the patient in accord with a comparison of the monitored level of consciousness of the patient and said parameters.