Optimization of model based infusion for delivery of beta blocking agents

Drug infusion protocols are designed to optimize the delivery of drugs to achieve a therapeutic concentration in the tissue. These protocols are based on a two-compartment pharmacokinetic model. If the plasma concentration of a drug is not constrained and no overshoot in the tissue is allowed, one solution is a bolus followed by a constant rate infusion to offset elimination. Although mathematically optimal, this solution is not practical. By placing limits on plasma concentration and allowing some overshoot in the tissue, a cost function may be defined which is a weighted sum of the rise time and overshoot of the tissue concentration. The infusion is then designed to minimize the cost function. As the weighting of the cost function is highly subjective, a wide variety of solutions have been determined. These solutions may also be extended to pharmacokinetic models with more than one peripheral compartment