Patent ID: 7247154

Claim:
A method for sedating a patient in connection with the patient undergoing one or more medical and/or surgical procedures without general anesthesia, said method comprising: connecting to a patient a drug delivery device capable of controllable drug delivery to the patient during said procedure, said drug delivery device being coupled to a controller which controls the delivery of drugs to the patient; attaching at least one patient health monitor device to a patient, said health monitor device generating a signal reflecting at least one monitored physiological condition of the patient during said procedure; delivering one or more drugs to the patient during said procedure with said drug delivery device; said drug being delivered at a desired supply rate; sending said signal from said health monitor device to said controller during said procedure, said signal communicating a present value reflecting said monitored physiological condition of the patient; accessing parameters for said monitored physiological condition, said parameters indicating values for said measurements of said monitored physiological condition where said values correlate to levels of desired sedation during said procedure; comparing said measurements reflected in said received signal with said parameters; and modifying said desired supply rate of the drugs as necessary in response to said comparing in order to maintain said patient safely within said levels of desired sedation during said procedure.