Method for delivering a fluid to a patient
View Patent ↗The present invention is directed to a system and method for providing care to a patient, comprising a patient care device having a number of configuration databases stored in a memory in the device. Each configuration database preferably includes protocols, operating limits, rule sets and/or operating features that collectively define an operating environment, or personality, of the device. Selection of a specific configuration database preferably is based at least in part upon patient-specific information obtained from any location in a distributed hospital network. Examples of such patient-specific information include patient age or size, patient medical characteristics, a location of the patient or a location of the care device. In a preferred embodiment, programming a patient care device to deliver a drug to a patient entails activating a configuration database and scanning a machine-readable drug label identifying a particular protocol stored in the activated database. The selected protocol includes default parameters for delivering the drug, and the label optionally includes instructions for deviating from the default protocol.
1. A method of delivering a drug or fluid to a patient, comprising:
obtaining patient-specific information from a database in a hospital network, the patient-specific information including patient location information;
transferring the patient-specific information to a patient care device using an input device in communication with said patient care device, said patient care device comprising a microprocessor and a memory storing a plurality of configuration databases for configuring the care device to provide care to a patient;
activating, using the microprocessor, a configuration database from the plurality of configuration databases in response to said patient-specific information including the patient location information, the activated configuration database including a plurality of protocols;
selecting, using the microprocessor, a protocol from said plurality of protocols, said protocol including at least one parameter for programming the care device to deliver a drug or fluid to the patient;
programming, using the microprocessor, said device to deliver the drug or fluid to the patient in accordance with the selected protocol; and
delivering the drug or fluid to the patient in accordance with the selected protocol.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said patient care device comprises: an interface unit including the memory and a processor, said interface unit in communication with the input device; and a functional unit removably connected to said interface unit and communicating therewith, said functional unit including a pump for delivering the drug or fluid to the patient.