Consumables supply system

• US 20030172009A1
• Filed: 05/12/2003
• Published: 09/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARKRAY, Inc
• Original Assignee: ARKRAY, Inc
• Inventors: Matsuda, Takeshi, Katou, Shigeru
• Granted Patent: US 7,672,878 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms

Abstract

In a consumables supply management system in which clinical test analysis devices (1) in medical institutions (A, B, . . . ) and a computer (2) of a consumables supplier (C) are connected via a communications line (10), operation status data including information on the status of consumption of the consumables in the clinical test analysis device (1) are transmitted to the computer (2) via the communications line (10). The computer (2) has previously stored data on the inventory of consumables in each medical institution, and determines the quantity of consumables consumed in each medical institution based on the operation status data that are received, updates the consumables inventory data, and if necessary, carries out the procedures for supplying an appropriate quantity of consumables.

Claims

1. A consumables supply management device that is connected via a communications line to a measurement device using consumables and that manages a supply of consumables to a user of the measurement device, wherein operation status data including information on a consumption status of consumables is generated in the measurement device, the consumables supply management device comprising:

an inventory data memory portion for storing consumables inventory data including information on an inventory status of consumables in a user of the measurement device;

a data reception portion for receiving the operation status data from the measurement device via the communications line;

a data processing portion that determines a quantity of consumables consumed by the measurement device based on the operation status data received by the data reception portion, and updates the consumables inventory data in the inventory data memory portion; and

a supply determining portion for determining whether it is necessary to supply consumables to the user of the measurement device based on the consumables inventory data updated by the data processing portion.

2. The consumables supply management device according to claim 1, further comprising a supply processing portion that carries out a procedure for supplying consumables to the user if the supply determining portion determines that it is necessary to supply those consumables.

3. The consumables supply management device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein a required inventory quantity of the consumables in the user of the measurement device is predetermined, and

the supply determining portion determines whether it is necessary to supply consumables to the user of the measurement device by comparing an inventory quantity of the consumables updated by the data processing portion with the required inventory quantity.

4. The consumables supply management device according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the supply processing portion sets the quantity of consumables supplied to the user to a quantity predetermined for that user.

5. The consumables supply management device according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the supply processing portion determines the quantity of consumables supplied to the user from a record of consumption of the consumables by that user.

6. The consumables supply management device according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the supply processing portion determines the quantity of consumables supplied to the user in correspondence with temporal fluctuations in the quantity of the consumables consumed.

7. The consumables supply management device according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein if the supply processing portion carries out procedures for supplying the same type of consumable to a plurality of users, then procedures are performed to supply a lot having a closer expiration date to a user that consumes a larger quantity of the consumable rather than to a user that consumes a smaller quantity.

8. The consumables supply management device according any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the consumables used by the measurement device include a specimen consumable, one unit of which is used per specimen;

the operation status data include a measurement time for each measurement; and

when a difference in the measurement times of a plurality of measurements is within a predetermined time, the data processing portion determines that the plurality of measurements are measurements in which an identical specimen was used, and regards the quantity of the specimen consumables consumed in the plurality of measurements as the one unit.

9. The consumables supply management device according to claim 8, wherein one unit of the specimen consumable includes at least one of a specimen container and a sampling tip.

10. A consumables supply management system in which a measurement device that uses consumables and a consumables supply management device for managing supply of consumables to a user of the measurement device are connected via a communications line,

wherein the measurement device comprises:

an operation status memory portion for storing operation status data including information on a consumption status of the consumables; and

a data transmission portion for transmitting the operation status data to the consumables supply management device via the communications line; and

wherein the consumables supply management device comprises;

an inventory data memory portion for storing consumables inventory data including information on an inventory status of consumables in a user of the measurement device;

a data reception portion for receiving the operation status data from the measurement device via the communications line;

a data processing portion that determines a quantity of consumables consumed by the measurement device based on the operation status data received by the data reception portion, and updates the consumables inventory data in the inventory data memory portion; and

a supply determining portion for determining whether it is necessary to supply consumables to the user of the measurement device based on the consumables inventory data updated by the data processing portion.

11. The consumables supply management system according to claim 10, wherein the consumables supply management device further comprises a supply processing portion that carries out a procedure for supplying consumables to the user if the supply determining portion determines that it is necessary to supply consumables.

12. The consumables supply management system according to claim 10 or claim 11, wherein a required inventory quantity of the consumables in the user of the measurement device is predetermined, and

the supply determining portion of the consumables supply management device determines whether it is necessary to supply consumables to the user of the measurement device by comparing an inventory quantity of the consumables updated by the data processing portion and the required inventory quantity.

13. The consumables supply management system according to claim 11 or claim 12, wherein the supply processing portion of the consumables supply management device sets the quantity of consumables supplied to the user to a quantity predetermined for that user.

14. The consumables supply management system according to claim 11 or claim 12, wherein the supply processing portion of the consumables supply management device determines the quantity of consumables supplied to the user from a record of consumption of the consumables by that user.

15. The consumables supply management system according to claim 11 or claim 12, wherein the supply processing portion of the consumables supply management device determines the quantity of consumables supplied to the user in correspondence with temporal fluctuations in the quantity of the consumable that is consumed.

16. The consumables supply management system according to any one of claims 11 to claims 15, wherein if the supply processing portion of the consumables supply management device carries out procedures for supplying the same type of consumable to a plurality of users, then procedures are performed to supply a lot having a closer expiration date to a user that consumes a larger quantity of the consumable rather than to a user that consumes a smaller quantity.

17. The consumables supply management system according to any one of claims 10 to claims 16, wherein the consumables used by the measurement device include a specimen consumable, one unit of which is used per specimen;

the operation status data include a measurement time for each measurement; and

when a difference in the measurement times of a plurality of measurements is within a predetermined time, the data processing portion determines that the plurality of measurements are measurements in which an identical specimen was used, and regards the quantity of the specimen consumables consumed in the plurality of measurements as the one unit.

18. The consumables supply management system according to claim 17, wherein one unit of the specimen consumable includes at least one of a specimen container and a sampling tip.

19. A measurement device that uses consumables,

connected via a communications line to a consumables supply management device, which manages supply of the consumables in correspondence with a consumption status of the consumables, the measurement device comprising:

an operation status memory portion for storing operation status data including information on a consumption status of the consumables; and

a data transmission portion for transmitting the operation status data to the consumables supply management device via the communications line.

20. A program storage medium on which is stored a program for controlling operation of a consumables supply management device that is connected via a communications line to a measurement device using consumables, and that manages supply of consumables to a user of the measurement device, the program executing the processes of:

providing, in the consumables supply management device, an inventory data memory portion for storing consumables inventory data including information on an inventory status of consumables in a user of the measurement device;

creating, in the measurement device, operation status data including information on a consumption status of consumables;

receiving the operation status data from the measurement device via the communications line;

determining a consumed quantity of consumables in the measurement device based on the operation status data that are received;

updating the consumables inventory data in the inventory data memory portion based on the consumed amount; and

determining whether it is necessary to supply consumables to the user of the measurement device based on the updated consumables inventory data.