a control system and a procedure intended to be used in the design of clinical studies

摘要

The present invention relates to a control system (10) intended for use in the performance of clinical trials. The control system (10) comprises at leat one data storage unit (12) for storing patient information and recorded or calculated data. The control system (10) also comprises a data acquisition means (14), connected to at least one of the said data storage units (12), that at least collects data excluding or including patients. The control system (10) further comprises a control means (16), connected to at least one of the said data storage units (12), that, on the basis of collected data, books patient appointments or excludes patients through the application of at least one predefined boundary condition and/or a predefined target function, M(p), p designating different parameters. The control system (10) further comprises an appointment-booking means (18), connected to the control means (16). It is then no longer necessary to recruit any new patients for a clinical trial when the control means (16) determines that the target function M(p) has been met or that an error function E=f(M, U) is less than a predetermined threshold value in which U(p) designates the real outcome.