Adaptive Fractional Order Control for Bispectral Index Regulation During Anaesthesia

Human error remains a significant concern in the medical field, particularly in anaesthesia, where even minor miscalculations can jeopardise patient safety. To address these challenges, the integration of automated control systems has emerged as a viable solution. Most existing control algorithms are tuned using a nominal patient model and inter-patient variability is tackled by incorporating robustness in the controller design. A personalised approach is, however, desirable. In this paper, a hybrid control framework that combines fractional-order control with a model-reference adaptive control (MRAC) approach is proposed as a solution for personalised control of the bispectral index (BIS). The system is designed to meet stringent performance requirements while ensuring stability and robustness. Comparative result with a non-adaptive fractional order controller are presented to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed adaptive strategy. Simulation results demonstrate promising outcomes, both with respect to the selected criteria and in alignment with the anticipated future developments.