Metrology for drug delivery
-
Peter Lucas
and
Stephan Klein
Abstract
In various recently published studies, it is argued that there are underestimated risks with infusion technology, i.e., adverse incidents believed to be caused by inadequate administration of the drugs. This is particularly the case for applications involving very low-flow rates, i.e., <1 ml/h and applications involving drug delivery by means of multiple pumps. The risks in infusing are caused by a lack of awareness, incompletely understood properties of the complete drug delivery system and a lack of a proper metrological infrastructure for low-flow rates. Technical challenges such as these were the reason a European research project “Metrology for Drug Delivery” was started in 2011. In this special issue of Biomedical Engineering, the results of that project are discussed.
Acknowledgments
The research leading to the results discussed in this report has received funding from the European Metrology Research Program (EMRP). The EMRP is jointly funded by the EMRP participating countries within Euramet and the European Union.
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©2015 by De Gruyter
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Editorial
- Low liquid flows – an important aspect in medical technology
- Special issue articles
- Metrology for drug delivery
- Flow variability and its physical causes in infusion technology: a systematic review of in vitro measurement and modeling studies
- Primary standards for measuring flow rates from 100 nl/min to 1 ml/min – gravimetric principle
- Primary standard for liquid flow rates between 30 and 1500 nl/min based on volume expansion
- An experimental setup for traceable measurement and calibration of liquid flow rates down to 5 nl/min
- Assessment of drug delivery devices
- An adjustable flow restrictor for implantable infusion pumps based on porous ceramics
- How physical infusion system parameters cause clinically relevant dose deviations after setpoint changes
- In vitro comparison of two changeover methods for vasoactive drug infusion pumps: quick-change versus automated relay
- How to use current practice, risk analysis and standards to define hospital-wide policies on the safe use of infusion technology
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Editorial
- Low liquid flows – an important aspect in medical technology
- Special issue articles
- Metrology for drug delivery
- Flow variability and its physical causes in infusion technology: a systematic review of in vitro measurement and modeling studies
- Primary standards for measuring flow rates from 100 nl/min to 1 ml/min – gravimetric principle
- Primary standard for liquid flow rates between 30 and 1500 nl/min based on volume expansion
- An experimental setup for traceable measurement and calibration of liquid flow rates down to 5 nl/min
- Assessment of drug delivery devices
- An adjustable flow restrictor for implantable infusion pumps based on porous ceramics
- How physical infusion system parameters cause clinically relevant dose deviations after setpoint changes
- In vitro comparison of two changeover methods for vasoactive drug infusion pumps: quick-change versus automated relay
- How to use current practice, risk analysis and standards to define hospital-wide policies on the safe use of infusion technology
