Patent US 4,370,983

A computer-controlled medical care system for use in the treatment and diagnosis of patients provides for either automatic or manual control of a wide variety of medical procedures including diagnostic procedures. The system accepts modular vessel structures, each type of structure being adapted for carrying out a specific procedure and matching programs for carrying out the specific procedures. A microcomputer accepts a program which may be designed to fit the needs of a specific patient and which must match the modular vessel structure. The microcomputer monitors the progress of the process and the physiologic status of the patient and provides for the taking of appropriate steps should difficulties be encountered in carrying out the procedure. The system can also be programmed to analyze a fluid taken from an individual, to treat the fluid and return same to the individual and to schedule the infusion of appropriate medications. Embodiments of the system provide for carrying out only a limited group of procedures where a full-range system is undesirable either because unnecessary or uneconomic. Modular vessel structures are keyed to specific programs, thereby preventing operator errors and increasing the reliability of the system.