Reliable drug delivery

Case study: European MeDD (Metrology for Drug Delivery) project
Field: Health, patient medicine administration
Service: Characterisation of medical devices for more effective treatment

BRIEF

Numerous pathologies are treated by infusion, for example renal, cardiac, neurological and pulmonary conditions, premature births etc. Excessive or insufficient dosing of medicines may lead to adverse effects with consequences that can be dramatic, sometimes contrary to the therapeutic objective or even lethal.

Precise control of very low flow rates and flow stability are crucial to administering the exact amount of medication required, especially for those requiring low blood concentrations because of their toxicity.

CETIAT RESPONSE

As part of the European MeDD project, seven national laboratories including LNE-CETIAT worked on the characterisation of medical devices (syringe pump, peristaltic infusion pump etc.). As well as measuring micro-flow rates from 1 ml/h to 10 l/h on its primary calibration bench, CETIAT also assessed the influence of multiple parameters on the accuracy of the flow rates delivered.

• Temperature
• Occlusion response time
• Start-up time
• Influence of accessories (catheter, tubing, syringe etc.)

RESULTS AND BENEFITS

The results demonstrated the influence of temperature on response times, particularly for flow rates in the order of 1 ml/h.

A best practice guide for the medical community is available at www.drugmetrology.com.

The MeDD project continues from 2019 to 2021 with the active participation of CETIAT.