Drug delivery in association with medical or surgical procedures

Abstract

A care system and associated methods are provided for alleviating patient pain, anxiety and discomfort associated with medical or surgical procedures, the system comprising: at least one patient health monitor device coupled to a patient and generating a signal reflecting at least one physiological condition of the patient; a drug delivery controller supplying one or more drugs to the patient; a memory device storing a safety data set reflecting parameters of the at least one patient physiological condition; and an electronic controller interconnected between the patient health monitor, the drug delivery controller and the safety data set; wherein said electronic controller manages the application of the drugs in accord with the safety data set. In another aspect of the invention, the care system facilitates a procedural physician's safely and efficaciously providing conscious sedation to a patient by additionally providing a consciousness monitoring-system which monitors the consciousness of the patient and generates a value representing the level of patient consciousness. Methods for alleviating patient pain and anxiety in accordance with the invention comprise connecting a drug delivery device to a patient, such device having a drug delivery controller supplying one or more drugs and being coupled to an electronic controller; attaching at least one patient health monitor device to the patient; accessing a memory device which stores a safety data set reflecting parameters of at least one patient physiological condition; and delivering the drugs to the patient in accord with the safety data set. In further aspects of the invention, the consciousness monitoring system is an automated consciousness monitoring system which includes patient query and response devices. Additional embodiments of the system and methods are directed to alleviating patient pain or discomfort while enabling safe patient controlled drug delivery in correlation with the monitoring of patient health conditions.

1 - 96 . (canceled)  
     
     
         97 . A drug mixture suitable for use by a non-anesthetist medical person during the performance of a medical and/or surgical procedure for delivery to a patient via a delivery apparatus to provide effective sedation and pain management without general anesthesia to a non-intubated patient in need thereof, wherein said apparatus comprises a drug delivery device for delivering a dosage rate of said drug mixture to said patient during said procedure, at least one sensor coupled to said patient for providing feedback data of the ventilatory function of the lungs of the patient during said medical procedure, and a processor connected to said sensor and adapted to electronically receive said feedback data and to generate a signal reflecting the ventilatory status of the patient, said signal indicating possible modifications of said drug delivery to maintain proper ventilatory functions during said medical procedure, said drug mixture comprising: 
 an analgesic drug to provide pain relief for the non-intubated patient in need thereof during said procedure; and    a sedative drug to provide sedation for the non-intubated patient in need thereof during said procedure.    
     
     
         98 . The drug mixture according to  claim 97 , wherein said analgesic drug is selected from the group consisting of fentanyl, remifentanil, morphine amd meperidine.  
     
     
         99 . The drug mixture according to  claim 98 , wherein said sedative drug is propofol.  
     
     
         100 . The drug mixture according to  claim 97 , wherein said analgesic drug is remifentanil.  
     
     
         101 . The drug mixture according to  claim 97 , wherein said sedative drug is propofol.  
     
     
         102 . The drug mixture according to  claim 101 , wherein said analgesic drug is remifentanil.  
     
     
         103 . A drug mixture suitable for use by a non-anesthetist medical person during the performance of a medical and/or surgical procedure, said mixture providing effective sedation and pain management without general anesthesia to a non-intubated patient in need thereof, said mixture comprising: 
 an effective quantity of remifentanil to provide pain relief for the non-intubated patient in need thereof during said procedure; and    an effective quantity of propofol to provide sedation for the non-intubated patient in need therof during said procedure;    said drug mixture being combined prior to infusion into said patient and suitable for delivery to said patient to provide effective pain relief and sedation without placing the patient in a state of general anesthesia.    
     
     
         104 . A drug mixture for use by a non-anesthetist personnel for performing a medical and/or surgical procedure on a spontaneously-ventilating patient in need of sedation and pain control during the procedure, said mixture comprising 
 a proportion of an analgesic sufficient to provide effective pain relief to the spontaneously ventilating patient during said procedure;    a proportion of a sedative sufficient to provide effective sedation to the spontaneously ventilating patient during said procedure;    said sedative and said analgesic mixture being ready for infusion by an electronically controlled infusion pump during said procedure.    
     
     
         105 . The drug mixture according to  claim 104 , wherein said analgesic is selected from the group consisting of fentanyl, remifentanil, morphine and meperidine.  
     
     
         106 . The drug mixture according to  claim 105 , wherein said sedative is propofol.  
     
     
         107 . The drug mixture according to  claim 104 , wherein said analgesic is remifentanil.  
     
     
         108 . The drug mixture according to  claim 104 , wherein said sedative is propofol.  
     
     
         109 . The drug mixture according to  claim 108 , wherein said analgesic is remifentanil.  
     
     
         110 . A drug mixture for use during a medical and/or surgical procedure, said mixture comprising 
 a quantity of remifentenal sufficient to provide effective pain relief to a patient the during said procedure;    a quantity of propofol sufficient to provide effective sedation to a patient during said procedure;    said propofol and said remifentenal being mixed for infusion by an electronically controlled infusion pump during said procedure.