System for sensing and recording information regarding medical items in a medical facility
First Claim
1. An apparatus for tracking custody of medical items in a supply and consumption chain, wherein each medical item has an RFID tag attached thereto that encodes medical item information specific to the medical item, wherein the medical items are initially collected together as a shipment of medical items, and wherein the shipment has a packing list packaged therewith and the packing list has a shipment identifier attached thereto that encodes shipment identification information specific to the shipment, the apparatus comprising:
- one or more first reading devices disposed in an area of a medical facility at which the shipment of the medical items is received, the one or more first reading devices for reading the shipment identifier attached to the packing list and decoding the shipment identification information encoded in the shipment identifier, the one or more first reading devices further for reading a first personnel identifier that identifies a person responsible for receiving the shipment of medical items in the area of the medical facility at which the shipment of the medical items is received;
one or more first RFID antennas disposed in a supply room in the medical facility, the one or more first RFID antennas for receiving first radio frequency signals emanated from the RFID tags attached to the medical items in the shipment after the medical items have been brought into the supply room, wherein the first radio frequency signals contain the medical item information encoded in the RFID tags attached to the medical items;
one or more first RFID readers associated with the supply room of the medical facility and electrically connected to the one or more first RFID antennas, the one or more first RFID readers for decoding the medical item information contained in the first radio frequency signals emanated from the RFID tags attached to the medical items;
one or more second reading devices associated with the supply room of the medical facility, the one or more second reading devices for reading at least the shipment identifier attached to the packing list and decoding the shipment identification information encoded in the shipment identifier, the one or more second reading devices further for reading a second personnel identifier that identifies a person responsible for placing the medical items into inventory at the medical facility;
a medical facility inventory computer in electrical communication with the one or more first reading devices, the one or more first RFID readers, and the one or more second reading devices, the medical facility inventory computer programmed to receive the shipment identification information, the medical item information, the first personnel identifier, the second personnel identifier, and a supply room identifier that identifies the supply room into which the medical items are placed into inventory; and
a medical item inventory database in electrical communication with the medical facility inventory computer, the medical item inventory database for associating at least the shipment identification information with the first personnel identifier, the second personnel identifier, and the supply room identifier,wherein the medical facility inventory computer is programmed to automatically generate one or both of a first message directed to the person identified by the first personnel identifier and a second message directed to the person identified by the second personnel identifier, the generation of the first message triggered by the shipment identification information becoming associated with the first personnel identifier, and the second message triggered by the shipment identification information becoming associated with the second personnel identifier, wherein the first and second messages prompt the person to whom they are directed to take some action with regard to the shipment of medical items.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus tracks medical items through various transition points in a medical facility and maintains a chain of custody for each item through each transition point, indicating who is responsible for each item at any particular time. The apparatus also generates messages directed to various medical facility personnel who are responsible for the medical items at the various transition points, which messages prompt the personnel to take appropriate action with regard to the medical items depending on the particular transition point.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. An apparatus for tracking custody of medical items in a supply and consumption chain, wherein each medical item has an RFID tag attached thereto that encodes medical item information specific to the medical item, wherein the medical items are initially collected together as a shipment of medical items, and wherein the shipment has a packing list packaged therewith and the packing list has a shipment identifier attached thereto that encodes shipment identification information specific to the shipment, the apparatus comprising:
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one or more first reading devices disposed in an area of a medical facility at which the shipment of the medical items is received, the one or more first reading devices for reading the shipment identifier attached to the packing list and decoding the shipment identification information encoded in the shipment identifier, the one or more first reading devices further for reading a first personnel identifier that identifies a person responsible for receiving the shipment of medical items in the area of the medical facility at which the shipment of the medical items is received; one or more first RFID antennas disposed in a supply room in the medical facility, the one or more first RFID antennas for receiving first radio frequency signals emanated from the RFID tags attached to the medical items in the shipment after the medical items have been brought into the supply room, wherein the first radio frequency signals contain the medical item information encoded in the RFID tags attached to the medical items; one or more first RFID readers associated with the supply room of the medical facility and electrically connected to the one or more first RFID antennas, the one or more first RFID readers for decoding the medical item information contained in the first radio frequency signals emanated from the RFID tags attached to the medical items; one or more second reading devices associated with the supply room of the medical facility, the one or more second reading devices for reading at least the shipment identifier attached to the packing list and decoding the shipment identification information encoded in the shipment identifier, the one or more second reading devices further for reading a second personnel identifier that identifies a person responsible for placing the medical items into inventory at the medical facility; a medical facility inventory computer in electrical communication with the one or more first reading devices, the one or more first RFID readers, and the one or more second reading devices, the medical facility inventory computer programmed to receive the shipment identification information, the medical item information, the first personnel identifier, the second personnel identifier, and a supply room identifier that identifies the supply room into which the medical items are placed into inventory; and a medical item inventory database in electrical communication with the medical facility inventory computer, the medical item inventory database for associating at least the shipment identification information with the first personnel identifier, the second personnel identifier, and the supply room identifier, wherein the medical facility inventory computer is programmed to automatically generate one or both of a first message directed to the person identified by the first personnel identifier and a second message directed to the person identified by the second personnel identifier, the generation of the first message triggered by the shipment identification information becoming associated with the first personnel identifier, and the second message triggered by the shipment identification information becoming associated with the second personnel identifier, wherein the first and second messages prompt the person to whom they are directed to take some action with regard to the shipment of medical items. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18)
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15. An apparatus for maintaining an inventory of medical items in a medical facility, wherein each medical item has an RFID tag attached thereto that encodes medical item information specific to the medical item, the apparatus comprising:
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a shielded enclosure that defines an internal space for storing the medical items; one or more RFID antennas disposed within the internal space for receiving radio frequency signals emanated from the RFID tags attached to the medical items, wherein the radio frequency signals contain the medical item information encoded in the RFID tags attached to the medical items; one or more RFID readers electrically connected to the one or more RFID antennas, the one or more RFID readers for performing scans to detect RFID tags within range of the one or more RFID antennas and decoding the medical item information contained in the radio frequency signals emanated from detected RFID tags; a computer in electrical communication with the one or more RFID readers, the computer programmed to control the one or more RFID readers to perform a first RFID system calibration procedure involving a known number of RFID tags attached to medical items disposed in the shielded enclosure, the procedure comprising; (a) performing a scan of the RFID tags with the one or more RFID readers set at a first transmitter power level; (b) the one or more RFID readers detecting a first number of RFID tags attached to the medical items disposed in the shielded enclosure; (c) comparing the first number of RFID tags to the known number of RFID tags; (d) if the first number of RFID tags is less than the known number of RFID tags, performing a scan of the RFID tags with the one or more RFID readers set at a second transmitter power level that is incrementally higher than the first transmitter power level; (e) repeating steps (b) through (d) until the first number of RFID tags equals the known number of RFID tags; and (f) operating the one or more RFID readers at the second transmitter power level for ongoing inventory maintenance purposes. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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Specification