Abstract: Disclosed is a patient monitoring and drug delivery system and associated methods for use during diagnostic, surgical or other medical procedures. The functionality of the invention enables many time consuming and laborious activities to be minimized or moved to a part in the procedure where time is not as critical. The invention is capable of increasing practice efficiency in patient care facilities through system architecture and design into two separate units. A patient unit receives input signals from patient monitoring connections and outputs the signals to a procedure unit. The procedure unit is operational during the medical procedure and controls the delivery of drugs to the patient.

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.