ADAPTIVE CONTROL OF AUTOMATIC DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEMS

RECENT IMPROVEMENTS IN IMPLANTABLE PHYSIOLOGICAL TRANSDUCER TECHNOLOGY AND THE AVAILABILITY OF LOW-COST COMPUTATIONAL POWER HAVE GREATLY INCREASED INTEREST IN THE AUTOMATED CONTROL OF PHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS IN THE RESEARCH LABORATORY AND IN CLINICAL THERAPY. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS RESEARCH IS TO DEVELOP AND EVALUATE SAFE AND EFFECTIVE ADAPTIVE CONTROL SOFTWARE FOR THE AUTOMATIC REGULATION OF THERAPEUTIC AGENTS IN CLINICAL APPLICATIONS. THE USE OF SUCH SOFTWARE IN EXISTING AND FUTURE AUTOMATIC DRUG DELIVERYDEVICES IS A POTENTIALLY POWERFUL TOOL FOR PHYSIOLOGICAL RESEARCH AND CLINICAL THERAPY. TWO TYPES OF ADAPTIVE CONTROLLERS WILL BE EVALUATED IN THIS PROJECT. ONE IS A MODIFIED VERSION OF THE SELF-TUNING REGULATOR THAT HAS BEEN TESTED IN PHYSIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS. THE OTHER IS A RECENTLY DEVELOPED ADAPTIVE INFERENTIAL CONTROL ALGORITHM WHICH HAS SEVERAL POTENTIAL BENEFITS FOR DRUG CONTROL. BOTH ALGORITHMS WILL BE COMPARATIVELY EVALUATED IN COMPUTER SIMULATIONS AND ON ANESTHETIZED DOGS. THE SIMULATIONS WILL STUDY THE SIMULTANEOUS CONTROL OF MEAN ARTERIAL PRESSURE AND CARDIAC OUTPUT. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS PROJECT STEMS NOT ONLY FROM THE USEFULNESS OF AN AUTOMATED SYSTEM TO CONTROL BLOOD PRESSURE, BUT FROM OTHER EXPECTED DRUG-DELIVERING APPLICATIONS. THIS PROJECT WILL RESULT IN USER-FRIENDLY CONTROL SOFTWARE AND WILL HAVE COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL AS PART OF ADVANCED EQUIPMENT FOR OPERATING ROOMS, INTENSIVE CARE UNITS, AND CHRONIC AMBULATORY DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEMS.