Drug administration controller

Abstract

A drug administration controller has a sensor that generates a sensor signal to a physiological measurement device, which measures a physiological parameter in response. A control output responsive to the physiological parameter or a metric derived from the physiological parameter causes a drug administration device to affect a treatment of a person, such as by initiating, pausing, halting or adjusting a dosage of drugs administered to the person.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A drug administration method comprising:
 measuring a physiological parameter in response to a sensor attached to a patient;   deriving a metric corresponding to the physiological parameter; and   controlling a drug administration device based upon the metric,   wherein the physiological parameter is at least one of: P1, RR, HbMet, or HbCO.   
     
     
         3 . The drug administration method according to  claim 2 , wherein the metric is a least one of: a parameter limit, a parameter trend, a parameter pattern, or a parameter variability. 
     
     
         4 . The drug administration method according to  claim 3 , wherein controlling comprises:
 enabling the drug administration device when P1 is trending downward as a marker of pain stimulus.   
     
     
         5 . The drug administration method according to  claim 4 , wherein controlling further comprises:
 pausing the drug administration device when P1 is not trending downward.   
     
     
         6 . The drug administration method according to  claim 3 , wherein controlling comprises:
 pausing the drug administration device when HbMet is trending upward.   
     
     
         7 . The drug administration method according to  claim 3 , wherein controlling comprises:
 pausing the drug administration device when HbMet is above HbMet limit.   
     
     
         8 . The drug administration method according to  claim 3 , wherein controlling comprises:
 pausing the drug administration device when RR is trending downward.   
     
     
         9 . The drug administration method according to  claim 3 , wherein controlling comprises:
 pausing the drug administration device when RR is less than a RR limit.   
     
     
         10 . A drug administration method comprising:
 measuring a physiological parameter in response to a sensor attached to a patient;   deriving a metric corresponding to the physiological parameter; and   controlling a drug administration device bases upon the metric,   wherein the metric is at least one of: a parameter trend, a parameter pattern, or a parameter variability.   
     
     
         11 . The drug administration method according to  claim 10 , wherein the physiological parameter is at least one of: SpO 2 , PR, P1, RR, HbMet, or HbCo. 
     
     
         12 . The drug administration method according to  claim 11 , wherein controlling comprises:
 enabling the drug administration device when P1 is trending downward.   
     
     
         13 . The drug administration method according to  claim 11 , wherein controlling comprises:
 pausing the drug administration device when HbMet is trending upward.   
     
     
         14 . The drug administration method according to  claim 11 , wherein controlling comprises:
 pausing the drug administration device when RR is trending downward.   
     
     
         15 . The drug administration method according to  claim 11 , wherein controlling comprises:
 pausing the drug administration device when a number of cyclical desaturations over a given timeframe is greater than a predetermined threshold.   
     
     
         16 . A drug administration controller comprising:
 at least one sensor that generates at least one sensor signal in response to a physiological state of a living being;   at least one physiological measurement device that generates measurements of at least one physiological parameter in response to the at least one sensor signal;   one or more processors that generate a control output in response to the measurements of the at least one physiological parameter; and   a drug administration device responsive to one or more control outputs so as to affect a treatment of the living being including at least one of: initiating, pausing, halting, or adjusting a dosage of administered drugs.   
     
     
         17 . The drug administration controller according to  claim 16 , wherein the drug administration device is one of: a drug infusion device, or a medical gas inhalation device. 
     
     
         18 . The drug administration controller according to  claim 17 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises:
 an optical sensor attached to a tissue site so as to measure at least one blood parameter; and   a sound sensor attached proximate to a neck site so as to measure respiration rate.   
     
     
         19 . The drug administration controller according to  claim 18 , wherein the at least one blood parameter comprises at least one of: HbMet or HbCO. 
     
     
         20 . The drug administration controller according to  claim 19  further comprising:
 at least one metric derived from the at least one physiological parameter; and 
 at least one rule relating the at least one metric to the control output.