Material and device inventory tracking system for medical and other uses

• US 20070112649A1
• Filed: 10/20/2005
• Published: 05/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions Health Services Corporation (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions Health Services Corporation (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Schlabach, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US11/255,134
• Publication Number:
  US 20070112649A1
• 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: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/50 for simulation or modelling of medical disorders
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

A system repetitively verifies a quantity of items against a baseline quantity of items, and manages the baseline quantity of items at the same time. A display processor initiates generation of data, representing a display image on a user interface. The display image presents a pre-populated list of item types and associated quantities derived from a first source. The display image also presents individual data fields corresponding to individual item types of the list. An individual data field receives data representing a user entered quantity value representing a count of items of an individual item type. A data processor compares a user entered quantity value with a pre-populated quantity, and generates data representing a message in response to a difference determined by the comparison.

Claims

1. A system supporting validating a medical device and material inventory, comprising:

a display processor for initiating generation of data representing a user-interface display image presenting,

a pre-populated list of item types and associated quantities derived from a first source and

individual data fields corresponding to individual item types of said list, an individual data field being for receiving data representing a user entered quantity value representing a count of items of an individual item type; and

a data processor for comparing a user entered quantity value with a pre-populated quantity and for generating data representing a message in response to a difference determined by said comparison.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein

said pre-populated list of item types and associated quantities is derived from a plurality of different sources including said first source.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein

said plurality of different sources comprise two or more of, (a) a predetermined preferred list of item types to be used for a particular procedure by a healthcare worker, (b) a predetermined preferred list of item types to be used for operation of a particular medical device type, (c) a predetermined inventory list of item types, (d) a historical count list of item types previously entered by a user via a user interface display image derived from a repository and (e) an inventory list of item types imported from a second system.

4. A system according to claim 1, including

a communication processor for automatically updating inventory records in a repository in response to said user entered quantity value.

5. A system according to claim 1, including

a data acquisition unit for receiving data identifying items from a bar code scanner and for updating count values in said individual data fields in response to said received data identifying items.

6. A system according to claim 1, including

a data acquisition unit for receiving data identifying items by wireless communication and for updating count values in said individual data fields in response to said received data identifying items.

7. A system according to claim 6, wherein

said data identifying items received by wireless communication is derived from RFID tags on individual items.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein

said RFID tags on said individual items are robust RFID tags able to withstand a sterilization procedure.

9. A system according to claim 6, wherein

said data identifying items received by wireless communication identifies items internal to a patient'"'"'s anatomy.

10. A system according to claim 1, including

a repository including data representing a plurality of count lists of item types previously entered by a user via a user interface display image together with dates of creation of individual lists and

a navigation processor enabling a user to access and display selected count lists derived from said repository.

11. A system according to claim 1, wherein

said data processor compares a user entered quantity value with a pre-populated quantity value derived from a selected count list of said plurality of count lists of item types and for generating data representing a message in response to a difference determined by said comparison, in response to user command.

12. A system according to claim 1, including

a configuration processor enabling a user to associate a particular item type with a particular category and

a collation processor for automatically allocating received data representing said user entered quantity value representing said count of items of said individual item type to a particular category.

13. A system according to claim 1, including

a configuration processor enabling a user to associate a particular item type with a particular group comprising a subset of items and

a sorting processor for automatically entering received data representing quantity values representing counts of said subset of items in response to user entry of data representing a count of said particular item.

14. A system according to claim 1, wherein

said user interface display image include image elements enabling a user to enter data representing a user entered quantity value representing said count of items of said individual item type in a plurality of different ways.

15. A system according to claim 14, wherein

said plurality of different ways include at least two of, (a) by entry of a numerical value, (b) by selection of a decrement or increment button, (c) by entry of data indicating a group of a plurality of items and (d) by selection from a predetermined option list.

16. A system according to claim 1, wherein

said pre-populated list of item types and associated quantities is editable by a user and

said display image includes individual data fields for receiving data representing a user entered reason code for an edit.

17. A system according to claim 1, wherein

said pre-populated list of item types and associated quantities is editable by a user to indicate an item is broken and is now counted as two items.

18. A system according to claim 1, wherein

a user is able to enter an item in said pre-populated list by data entry via said displayed image.

19. A system according to claim 1, wherein

said pre-populated list of item types and associated quantities comprises a partial count of a particular item type.

20. A system according to claim 19, wherein

said particular item type is of sharp devices.

21. A method for validating a medical device and material inventory, comprising the activities of:

initiating generation of data representing a user interface display image presenting,

a pre-populated list of item types and associated quantities derived from a first source and

individual data fields corresponding to individual item types of said list, an individual data field being for receiving data representing a user entered quantity value representing a count of items of an individual item type; and

comparing a user entered quantity value with a pre-populated quantity and for generating data representing a message in response to a difference determined by said comparison.

22. A tangible storage medium incorporating machine-readable instructions for performing the activities of claim 21.

23. A system supporting validating a medical device and material inventory, comprising:

a repository for storing data representing a record of item types and associated quantities;

a data acquisition unit for receiving data identifying items by wireless communication and for updating count values of said data items in response to said received data identifying items;

a display processor for initiating generation of data representing a user interface display image presenting a list of item types and associated quantities and said associated count values updated by said data acquisition unit; and

a data processor for comparing said associated quantities and said associated count values, and for generating data, representing a message, in response to a difference determined by said comparison.

24. A system according to claim 23, wherein

said data identifying items received by wireless communication is derived from RFID tags on individual items.

25. A system according to claim 24, wherein

said RFID tags on said individual items are robust RFID tags able to withstand a sterilization procedure.