Comparison of On-line Autocalibration Techniques of a Controller of Neuromuscular Blockade

Abstract A method for the on-line autocalibration of a controller of muscle relaxation is presented. It relies on the information about the patient's dynamics deduced from the response to the bolus of relaxant given in the beginning of anaesthesia. For this purpose, the bolus response is characterised by parameters such as the elapsed time between the bolus administration and the time the relaxation reaches 50% and the slope of the descent of the curve towards zero. A more complete description of the bolus response can be achieved by principle component analysis (PCA). A detailed comparison of these alternative descriptions is presented.