Method and apparatus to account for transponder tagged objects used during medical procedures
First Claim
1. A system to account for medical procedure objects, the system comprising:
- a plurality of sterile fields, each of the sterile fields encompassing an area that excludes any portion of a body of a patient on which a medical procedure is performed;
a first plurality of antennas communicatively coupled to at least one receiver, the first plurality of antennas and the at least one receiver providing a range that is about coextensive with the plurality of sterile fields and which range does not extend into any portion of the body of the patient when the patient is supported by a patient support structure during the medical procedure;
a second plurality of antennas, also coupled to the at least one receiver, the second plurality of antennas and the at least one receiver configured to monitor a volume of medical procedure objects including portions of the body of the patient; and
a control subsystem including at least one processor and at least one processor-readable storage medium, the control subsystem configured to;
at least proximate a start of a medical procedure on a patient, automatically detect each of a number of medical procedure objects for performing the medical procedure within any of the sterile fields; and
at least proximate an end of the medical procedure on the patient, automatically determine whether each of the number of medical procedure objects detected within any of the sterile fields at least proximate the start of the medical procedure are present in at least one sterile field of the plurality of sterile fields or at least one non-sterile field.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Medical procedure related objects (e.g., instruments, supplies) tagged with transponders are accounted for in a medical procedure environment via a medical object accounting system using a number of antennas, and optional readers. A first set of antennas is configured to interrogate sterile fields and/or non-sterile fields which do not encompass a body of a patient to account for the objects proximate a start and an end of a medical procedure. Readers (e.g., symbol, RFID) may be employed. A database is maintained with information including a current status of each instrument or supply, for instance as checked in or checked out. On notification of a discrepancy, a handheld antenna and/or second set of antennas interrogate a volume encompassing a body of a patient for retained instruments or supplies. The system is automatically configured (e.g., loading appropriate software) on communicative coupling of a device (e.g., antenna, reader, peripheral device).
392 Citations
14 Claims
-
1. A system to account for medical procedure objects, the system comprising:
-
a plurality of sterile fields, each of the sterile fields encompassing an area that excludes any portion of a body of a patient on which a medical procedure is performed; a first plurality of antennas communicatively coupled to at least one receiver, the first plurality of antennas and the at least one receiver providing a range that is about coextensive with the plurality of sterile fields and which range does not extend into any portion of the body of the patient when the patient is supported by a patient support structure during the medical procedure; a second plurality of antennas, also coupled to the at least one receiver, the second plurality of antennas and the at least one receiver configured to monitor a volume of medical procedure objects including portions of the body of the patient; and a control subsystem including at least one processor and at least one processor-readable storage medium, the control subsystem configured to; at least proximate a start of a medical procedure on a patient, automatically detect each of a number of medical procedure objects for performing the medical procedure within any of the sterile fields; and at least proximate an end of the medical procedure on the patient, automatically determine whether each of the number of medical procedure objects detected within any of the sterile fields at least proximate the start of the medical procedure are present in at least one sterile field of the plurality of sterile fields or at least one non-sterile field. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
Specification