System and method for instrument tracking

• US 10,390,902 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2018
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HCL Technologies Limited
• Original Assignee: HCL Technologies Limited
• Inventors: Singh, Lalit Kumar, Gupta, Pankaj
• Primary Examiner(s): Terrell, Emily C
• Application Number:
  US16/010,285
• Publication Number:
  US 20190000586A1
• Time in Patent Office: 438 Days
• Field of Search: 3405681, 3405391, 34053913, 34053932
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2050/311 Cases
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0803 Counting the number of times an instrument is used
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0804 Counting number of instruments used; Instrument detectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0805 automatically, e.g. by means of magnetic, optical or photoelectric detectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/20 Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/31 Carrying cases or bags, e.g. doctors' bags
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/08 Accessories or related features not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/98 using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20

Abstract

Disclosed is a device and method for tracking one or more instrument in a surgical kit. The method comprises receiving one or more signals from a first set of sensors and activating a second set of sensors based on the one or more signals. Further to activating, the method comprises receiving data from the second set of sensors and computing, a current state associated with each of the instrument based on the data, and historical data. Furthermore, the method comprises transmitting the current state of the surgical kit, the current state associated with each of the instrument and a location co-ordinate of the surgical kit via a communication channel based on a signal strength of the communication channel and deactivating the tracking device, thereby tracking one or more instrument in a surgical kit.

Claims

1. A device for tracking one or more instrument in a surgical kit, the device comprising:

a magnetic sensor, wherein the magnetic sensor is configured to transmit one or more signals upon detecting a change in a state of a surgical kit, wherein the state is one of an open state and a closed state;

one or more of a load cell and a Piezo sensor, wherein the one or more of the load cell and the Piezo sensor are activated based on the one or more signals; and

a machine control unit coupled to the magnetic sensor and the one or more of the load cell and the Piezo sensor, wherein the machine control unit is capable of executing instructions to perform steps of;

receiving the one or more signals from the magnetic sensor;

activating the one or more of the load cell and the Piezo sensor based on the one or more signals;

receiving data from the one or more of the load cell and the Piezo sensor, wherein the data is associated with one or more instruments within the surgical kit;

computing a current state associated with each of the one or more instruments based on the data, and historical data, wherein the current state is one of;

instrument present, instrument absent, and instrument present in reduced quantity;

transmitting the current state of the surgical kit, the current state associated with each of the one or more instruments and a location co-ordinate of the surgical kit via a communication channel based on a signal strength of the communication channel; and

deactivating the one or more of the load cell and the Piezo sensor, thereby tracking one or more instruments in the surgical kit.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the machine control unit is further capable of executing instructions to perform steps of:

deactivating at least the magnetic sensor and the one or more of the load cell and the Piezo sensor at a start of a surgical kit sterilization; and

activating the magnetic sensor and the one or more of the load cell and the Piezo sensor upon completion of the sterilization cycle.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the machine control unit is further capable of executing instructions to perform steps of:

storing the current state associated with each of the one or more instruments, the current state of surgical kit, the location co-ordinate of the surgical kit, and a time stamp when the signal strength of the communication channel is below a predefined threshold; and

transmitting the current state associated with each of the one or more instruments, the current state of the surgical kit, the location co-ordinate of the surgical kit and the time stamp via the communication channel when the signal strength of the communication channel exceeds the predefined threshold.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the machine control unit is further capable of executing instructions to perform step of computing a total usage time of the instrument based on the current state and the historical data.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the machine control unit is further capable of executing instructions to perform step of generating an alert based on a change in the location co-ordinate of the surgical kit, and the current state.

6. A method for tracking one or more instruments in a surgical kit, the method comprising:

receiving, by a machine control unit, one or more signals from a magnetic sensor, wherein the magnetic sensor is configured to transmit the one or more signals upon detecting a change in a state of the surgical kit, wherein the state is one of an open state and an closed state;

activating, by the machine control unit, a one or more of a load cell, and a Piezo sensor based on the one or more signals;

receiving, by the machine control unit, data from the one or more of the load cell, and the Piezo sensor, wherein the data is associated with one or more instruments within the surgical kit;

computing, by the machine control unit, a current state associated with each of the one or more instruments based on the data, and historical data, wherein the current state is one of;

instrument present, instrument absent, and instrument present in reduced quantity;

transmitting, by the machine control unit, the current state of the surgical kit, the current state associated with each of the one or more instruments and a location co-ordinate of the surgical kit via a communication channel based on a signal strength of the communication channel; and

deactivating, by the machine control unit, the one or more of the load cell, and the Piezo sensor, thereby tracking one or more instrument in a surgical kit.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

deactivating, by the machine control unit, at least the first magnetic sensor and the one or more of the load cell, and the Piezo sensor at a start of a surgical kit sterilization; and

activating, by the machine control unit, the magnetic sensor and one or more of the load cell, and the Piezo sensor upon completion of the sterilization cycle.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

storing, by the machine control unit, the current state associated with each of the one or more instruments, the current state of the surgical kit, the location co-ordinate of the surgical kit, and a time stamp when the signal strength of the communication channel is below a predefined threshold; and

transmitting, by the machine control unit, the current state associated with each of the one or more instruments, the current state of the surgical kit, the location co-ordinate of the surgical kit and the time stamp via the communication channel when the signal strength of the communication channel exceeds the predefined threshold.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising computing, by the machine control unit, a total usage time of the one or more instruments based on the current state and the historical data.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising generating, by the machine control unit, an alert based on a change in the location co-ordinate of the surgical kit, and the current state.