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System for sensing and recording information regarding medical items in a medical facility

  • US 10,152,688 B2
  • Filed: 12/31/2014
  • Issued: 12/11/2018
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2014
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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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:

  • 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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