Abstract: An air-bubble-monitoring medication assembly includes a drug infusion subassembly having a tube for administering therein a liquid to a patient, a bubble-size determinator which is positioned to sense an air bubble entrained in the liquid in the tube and which determines the volume of the air bubble, and an analyzer. The analyzer logs the time the detector senses an air bubble and the volume of the air bubble, calculates a running sum of a total air volume of all air bubbles sensed over a time interval, compares the running sum with a preselected limit, and generates an output when the running sum exceeds the preselected limit. The medical system additionally includes a controller assembly which determines a delivery schedule for administering the liquid and which controls the drug infusion subassembly to administer the liquid in accordance with the determined delivery schedule. The method performs the analyzer functions.

Abstract: The present invention provides apparatuses and methods to safely and economically deliver infusion fluid to a patient during a medical procedure. The infusion fluid may be a sedative, analgesic, amnestic or other pharmaceutical agent (drug) for alleviating a patient's pain and anxiety before, during and/or after a medical or surgical procedure. In general the apparatus comprises a microprocessor-based controller that receives inputs from a plurality of physiological monitors attached to a patient. The system controller processes the data from the physiological monitors and based upon a fluid infusion algorithm delivers infusion fluid to a patient. The physiological monitors monitor the patient throughout the course of the procedure and depending upon the health of the patient, drug delivery may be adjusted to optimize the procedure while ensuring the patient's health is maintained.

Abstract: Disclosed is an interface between a drug delivery cassette and a medical effector system. The cassette may be mounted to the medical effector system in such a way that a fluid tube located on the cassette is positioned adjacent to a pump located on the medical effector system. The medical effector system may purge the fluid line of air by activating the pump and forcing fluid through the fluid line until a sensor positioned to monitor the fluid line indicates that fluid and not air is present in the tube. To prevent air purging of the fluid tube when connected to the patient, the medical effector system prohibits air purging unless the drug delivery end portion of the fluid tube is in a designated storage site located on the cassette. This is accomplished with a position sensor at the storage site that monitors the position of the fluid tube.

Abstract: Disclosed is a medical effector system containing a bar code reader to identify equipment and accessories to be used in combination with the medical effector system. The barcode reader is adapted to read the packaging of a respiratory cannula, a drug delivery cassette assembly, a drug vial or package of a drug vial and other medical equipment. The medical effector system further includes a memory to associate predetermined characteristics with the bar codes read by the bar code reader.

Abstract: A medical effector system comprised of a bedside unit and a procedure unit. The bedside unit contains a series of connection points for receiving inputs from a series of patient monitors. The procedure unit contains a patient monitoring and medical effector program, and a drug delivery pump or magnetic flux generator capable of delivering therapeutic energy to a patient. The medical effector system contains the capability to issue and receive a request from a non-sedated patient, issue and receive a request from a sedated patient and then to calculate a time difference. The medical effector program operates the pump or magnetic flux generator based upon at least some of the patient outputs and program inputs including a calculated time difference. A removable umbilical cable connects the two units and allows the output of the patient monitors as well as other information to travel between the two units.

Abstract: Disclosed is an oxygen delivery apparatus constructed from an oxygen delivery manifold, a respiratory cannula, and a host controller. The host controller contains an oxygen delivery program and accepts a respiration input regarding whether the patient is inhaling or exhaling, and whether the patient is breathing orally or nasally. The oxygen delivery program regulates the flow rate of oxygen based in part upon the respiration input provided. A first rates is used when the patient is inhaling and exhaling orally, a second rate is used when the patient is inhaling nasally, and a third rate is used when the patient is exhaling nasally.

Abstract: Disclosed is a capnometry apparatus for receiving respiratory gas from a respiratory cannula positioned on a patient. An integrated host controller alerts a user if the capnometry apparatus is connected or not connected to the respiratory cannula based in part on a signal output from a capnometer located in the capnometry apparatus. The host controller also includes the functionality to shut off the capnometer pump with or without a time delay when the capnometer signal output indicates the capnometer pump is not connected to the cannula. An ambient-air pressure sensor located in the capnometry apparatus alerts the host controller if the capnometry apparatus has been moved to a new location with a substantially different altitude than the first location, in which case the host controller will issue an alert to a user prompting a calibration of the capnometry apparatus.

Abstract: An air-bubble-monitoring medication assembly includes a drug infusion subassembly having a tube for administering therein a liquid to a patient, a bubble-size determinator which is positioned to sense an air bubble entrained in the liquid in the tube and which determines the volume of the air bubble, and an analyzer. The analyzer logs the time the detector senses an air bubble and the volume of the air bubble, calculates a running sum of a total air volume of all air bubbles sensed over a time interval, compares the running sum with a preselected limit, and generates an output when the running sum exceeds the preselected limit. The medical system additionally includes a controller assembly which determines a delivery schedule for administering the liquid and which controls the drug infusion subassembly to administer the liquid in accordance with the determined delivery schedule. The method performs the analyzer functions.