Robot-based rack processing system

• US 10,470,841 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2017
• Issued: 11/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steris Corporation
• Original Assignee: Steris Corporation
• Inventors: St-Jean, Hugo, Rochette, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Kalinowski, Alexander G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Malhotra, Sanjeev
• Application Number:
  US15/471,071
• Publication Number:
  US 20180280112A1
• Time in Patent Office: 959 Days
• Field of Search: 700226, 700230, 700239, 700245, 700248, 700299, 7386381, 422 28, 422 50, 422 65, 435 5, 435 619, 436 47, 414217, 41422201, 606 1, 134 18, 134 252, 1341022, 134161, 172 1, 141 37, 600106, 600407, 424700, 294213, 105156, 296 19, 165 111
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/22 Racks
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/70 Cleaning devices specially adapted for surgical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 13/00 Accessories or details of general applicability for machines or apparatus for cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0297 by controlling means in a control room
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

A robot-based system for processing racks used for transportation of articles in connection with an inactivation procedure, such as sterilization, disinfection, and decontamination. Robots are used to move full and empty racks between a plurality of a locations within soiled and clean areas of a workspace, including, but not limited to, a loading station where soiled medical instruments are loaded on the racks, washer/disinfectors for processing the medical instruments, and an unloading station where clean medical instruments are unloaded from the racks for sorting into trays.

Claims

1. A rack processing system for processing racks in a workspace having a soiled area and a clean area isolated from the soiled area, the rack processing system comprising:

a loading station in the soiled area for loading racks with soiled medical instruments;

a first buffer storage in the soiled area for storing racks loaded with soiled medical instruments;

at least one inactivation apparatus for carrying out an inactivation procedure on racks loaded with soiled medical instruments, said inactivation apparatus is a washer/disinfector or a sterilizer having a loading side in the soiled area and an unloading side in the clean area;

a rack return line including a conveyer for returning racks from the clean area to the soiled area, said rack return line having a loading side in the clean area and an unloading side in the soiled area;

a first robot located in the soiled area for transporting racks between a plurality of locations that include;

(i) the loading station, (ii) the first buffer storage, (iii) the inactivation apparatus, and (iv) the rack return line;

an unloading station in the clean area for unloading medical instruments from racks processed by the inactivation apparatus;

a second buffer storage in the clean area for storing racks loaded with medical instruments processed by the inactivation apparatus;

a second robot located in the clean area for transporting racks between a plurality of locations that include;

(i) the inactivation apparatus, (ii) the unloading station, (iii) the second buffer storage, and (iv) the rack return line; and

a central computer system for providing instructions to the first and second robots, the central computer system programmed to;

(a) receive a pick up request from the loading station requesting pick up of a rack from the loading station, and determine whether an inactivation apparatus is available for processing the rack, wherein

if the inactivation apparatus is available, the central computer system programmed to transmit instructions to the first robot to pick up the rack from the loading station and transport the rack to the inactivation apparatus that is available, and

if the inactivation apparatus is not available, the central computer system programmed to transmit instructions to the first robot to pick up the rack from the loading station and transport the rack to the first buffer storage; and

(b) receive status information indicating whether the inactivation apparatus has completed a processing cycle, and determine whether storage is available at the unloading station, wherein

if the processing cycle of the inactivation apparatus is complete and storage is available at the unloading station, then the central computer system programmed to transmit instructions from the central computer system to the second robot to pick up the rack from the inactivation apparatus and transport the rack to the unloading station, and

if the processing cycle of the inactivation apparatus is complete and storage is not available at the unloading station, then the central computer system programmed to transmit instructions from the central computer system to the second robot to pick up the rack from the inactivation apparatus and transport the rack to the second buffer storage.

2. The rack processing system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a first docking station in the soiled area for recharging the first robot.

3. The rack processing system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a second docking station in the clean area for recharging the second robot.

4. The rack processing system of claim 1, wherein the central computer system is programmed to determine whether an inactivation apparatus is available for processing a rack and whether a rack is located at the first buffer storage, wherein

if the inactivation apparatus is determined to be available and the rack is located at the first buffer storage, said central computer system programmed to transmit instructions to the first robot to pick up the rack from the first buffer storage and transport to the available inactivation apparatus.

5. The rack processing system of claim 1, wherein the central computer system is programmed to determine whether a full rack is located at a second buffer storage, wherein if the full rack is located at the second buffer storage, said central computer system programmed to transmit instructions to the second robot to pick up the full rack from the second buffer storage and transport the full rack to the unloading station.

6. The rack processing system of claim 1, wherein the central computer system is programmed to determine whether a request has been received from the unloading station for a pick up of an empty rack at the unloading station, wherein if the request has been received from the unloading station, said central computer system programmed to transmit instructions to the second robot to pick up the empty rack at the unloading station and transport the empty rack to the return line for returning the empty rack to the soiled area.