Automated instrument sorting system
First Claim
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1. A method for processing medical instruments undergoing at least one biocontamination reduction process, comprising the steps of:
- locating a plurality of medical instruments onto a conveyance means having a plurality of destination sites;
conveying each of the medical instruments past imaging means;
reading a machine-readable code located on each medical instrument to select from a plurality of destination sites a destination site associated with the medical instrument; and
conveying each medical instrument to the destination site associated therewith, wherein each of said plurality of destination sites collects a set of medical instruments according to a sort criteria.
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Abstract
An automated system for sorting articles, such as medical instruments, by a selected sort criteria. In one embodiment of the present invention, medical instruments are sorted in accordance with an instrument set list for assembling a medical instrument set. The present invention minimizes or eliminates the amount of manual labor needed to sort instruments, minimizes human contact with the instruments, speeds the sorting process, and reduces sorting errors.
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19 Claims
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1. A method for processing medical instruments undergoing at least one biocontamination reduction process, comprising the steps of:
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locating a plurality of medical instruments onto a conveyance means having a plurality of destination sites;
conveying each of the medical instruments past imaging means;
reading a machine-readable code located on each medical instrument to select from a plurality of destination sites a destination site associated with the medical instrument; and
conveying each medical instrument to the destination site associated therewith, wherein each of said plurality of destination sites collects a set of medical instruments according to a sort criteria. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A system for automated sorting of a plurality of medical instruments, comprising:
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an imaging system for reading a machine-readable code located on each medical instrument;
a tracking system using the machine-readable code to select a respective destination site for each medical instrument from a plurality of destination sites and transmitting destination site data to the sorting apparatus that identifies the respective destination site associated with each medical instrument; and
a sorting apparatus including;
conveyance means for conveying each of the medical instruments to the respective destination site selected from the plurality of destination sites to collect a set of medical instruments in accordance with a sort criteria, said conveyance means having a plurality of destination sites. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification