Work piece with a machine-readable data carrier

• US 20040099724A1
• Filed: 10/28/2003
• Published: 05/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ulrich AG
• Original Assignee: Ulrich AG
• Inventors: Ulrich, Christoph H, Giovanettoni, Lukas
• Granted Patent: US 7,017,800 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: B23H 9/06 Marking or engraving
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 1/05 High-speed punches, e.g. controlled by electric computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 1/128 by electric registration, e.g. electrolytic, spark erosion recording apparatus for measuring instruments G01D15/06; information storage in general G11

Abstract

The invention relates to work pieces (2), such as surgical instruments provided with a machine-readable data carrier (1). Said data support contains a data section (3) with individual cavities (4) arranged therein, forming a two-dimensional matrix code (5). The cavities exhibit a particular advantage in that they are machine-cat, especially by means of boring. Damage causing structural alterations to the material occurring when a code is burnt in by means of laser radiation can be reduced in a reliable manner. The contrast effect of the cavities is sufficient and the data support is particularly resistant to mechanical influences.

Claims

1. A method for putting a machine-readable data storage medium (1) on a workpiece (2), particularly on a surgical instrument, where a data section (3) contains individual depressions (4) which form a total of one two-dimensional matrix code, characterized in that the depressions are made by a cutting work process, particularly by drilling or milling, and in that the data section (3) is put on the work tool (2) as a planar surface (17) which is set back from the adjacent workpiece surface before the depressions (4) are made.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, in addition to the matrix code, an alphanumeric code (14) is put on the workpiece.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the depressions (4) are drilled so as to be rotationally symmetrical with a preferably conical section whose cross section tapers toward the base (22) of the depression.

4. The method as claimed in one of claims 1 to 3, characterized

a) in that the workpiece (2) is clamped in a clamping apparatus (9),

b) in that the data section is first milled out of the workpiece as a planar surface (17),

c) in that the depressions (4) are then drilled using a computer-controlled coordinate drill (8),

d) in that the matrix code is checked using a reader (10) while the workpiece is in the clamped state,

e) and in that work steps b, c and d are repeated if the code cannot be identified.

5. A method for putting a machine-readable data storage medium (1) on a workpiece (2), particularly on a surgical instrument, where a data section (3) contains individual depressions (4) which form a total of one two-dimensional matrix code, characterized in that the depressions (4) are drilled so as to be rotationally symmetrical with a preferably conical section whose cross section tapers toward the base (22) of the depression.

6. A workpiece, particularly a surgical instrument, having a machine-readable data storage medium (1) which is in the form of a two-dimensional matrix code (5) in the form of individual depressions (4) in a data section (3), characterized in that the depressions are made by a cutting work process, particularly by drilling or milling, in a planar surface (17) which is set back from the adjacent workpiece surface.

7. The workpiece as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the depressions (4) are in rotationally symmetrical form and their cross section has a preferably conical section (21) which tapers toward the base (22) of the depression.

8. The workpiece as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the tapering section (21) intersects the planar surface (17).

9. The workpiece as claimed in claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the tapering section (21) has a cone angle (a) of between 80°

and 120°

.

10. The workpiece as claimed in one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that the depressions (4) at the level of the planar surface (17) have a diameter (e) of less than 0.15 mm and a spacing (c, d) between the centers of less than 0.2 mm.

11. The workpiece as claimed in one of claims 6 to 10, characterized in that the distance (g) between the base (22) of the depression and the level of the planar surface (17) is less than 0.05 mm.

13. A method for reading the data storage medium on a workpiece as claimed in one of claims 6 to 12, characterized in that the optical axis of a camera'"'"'s read head is directed toward the data storage medium (1) or toward the planar surface (17), with the illumination coming via the read head'"'"'s lens.

14. The use of workpieces, particularly of surgical instruments as claimed in one of claims 6 to 12, in a monitoring process in which each workpiece is allocated a unique data storage medium which contains master data identifying the workpiece,

where the master data are recorded in a data processing device (33),

whenever the workpiece is used, the data storage medium is read in and the master data recorded in the process, supplemented with use-specific data, are in turn stored together as actual data in the data processing device,

the data processing device compares the stored actual data with nominal data which are likewise stored,

and predetermined parameters are taken as a basis for producing a display relating to the state of the work tool.

12. A workpiece, particularly a surgical instrument, having a machine-readable data storage medium (1) which is in the form of a two-dimensional matrix code (5) in the form of individual depressions (4) in a data section (3), characterized in that the depressions are in rotationally symmetrical form and their cross section has a conical section which tapers toward the base of the depressions.