Introduction:

Manual bolus administration has evolved from volumetric infusion based on standardized pharmacological regimens to target-controlled infusion systems and the most sophisticated closed-loop systems.

Objective:

To describe the technological principles and extended clinical applications of target-controlled infusion and closed-loop systems.

Methods:

A nonsystematic review of the literature was carried out, during September 2020, in scientific databases such as Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Pubmed/Medline, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCOhost, Science Direct, OVID and the academic search engine Google Scholar.

Development:

The availability and portability of electronic devices with advanced processing capacity at relatively affordable prices, the refinement of machine learning and artificial intelligence applied to medical decisions, as well as the complex technological iterations incorporated into open and closed-loop systems, originally developed in the field of anesthesiology, have enabled their expansion to other specialties and clinical settings so diverse as treatment of diabetes mellitus, administration of antineoplastic drugs, mechanical ventilation, control of hemodynamic variables and antimicrobial therapy in critical patients.

Conclusions:

Target-controlled infusion and closed-loop systems have become mature, safe and viable technologies, applied clinically in multiple nations and settings, with superior performance compared to traditional manual systems.

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