Surgical pad accounting system and method

• US 20080030303A1
• Filed: 08/04/2006
• Published: 02/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Andrew Menzin, Myles Kobren
• Original Assignee: Andrew Menzin, Myles Kobren
• Inventors: Kobren, Myles, Menzin, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US11/499,605
• Publication Number:
  US 20080030303A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.92
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/36 Surgical swabs, e.g. for absorbency or packing body cavities during surgery A61F13/38 takes precedence

Abstract

In a surgical procedure absorbent pads, such as sterile gauze lap pads and sponges are used to absorb blood and other fluids. It is vital that none of the pads be left in the patient after the operation.

To account for each pad and be certain none are left in the patient, each pad is marked with unique human readable alphanumeric character, for example each pad in its face is printed with one number from the numbers 1,2,3 . . . 10 or more.

Similarly a container has pockets, each pocket being sealed on its top and two sides and with its top open. The surface of each pocket is marked with a alphanumeric human readable character, matching the characters on the pads. During ,or after the operation, each used pad is placed in its matching pocket i.e. pad “6” is placed in pocket “6”. A visual inspection reveals if any used pad is not in its matching packet which may indicate the pad has been incorrectly retained within the patient'"'"'s body.

Claims

1. A system, in medical surgery, for accounting for surgical pads used in a surgical operation, the system including:

A. a plurality of surgical pads adapted for use in a surgical operation, each pad having a front and a back face;

B. a first set of human readable character markings, at least some of said first markings being different characters from the others of said first markings, each of said pads, on at least one said faces exhibiting at least one of said first markings;

C. a container adapted to receive used surgical pads having a plurality of pockets, each pocket having a front face and being of a suitable size and shape to receive a used pad;

D. a second set of human readable character marking which match in character the characters of the first set of markings;

at least some of said second set of markings being different characters from the others of said second set of markings;

E. the front faces of at least some of said pockets exhibiting said second set of character markings;

wherein each pad may be inserted into a pocket having a matching character after each pad is used.

2. A system in medical surgery as in claim 1 wherein the first and second sets of character markings are alphanumeric characters.

3. A system in medical surgery as in claim 1 wherein the first and second sets of character markings are numbers.

4. A system in medical surgery as in claim 1 wherein the first and second sets of character markings are in the range of 2 to 6 inches high.

5. A system in medical surgery as in claim 1 wherein the first character markings are printed on said front and back faces of each pad, the character on the front face of each pad being the same as the character on the back face of each pad.

6. A system in medical surgery as in claim 1 wherein the first set of character markings are printed on said pads.

7. A system in medical surgery as in claim 1 wherein the second set of character markings are printed on the pockets.

8. A system in medical surgery as in claim 1 wherein the first set of character markings are in one color and the second set of character markings are in the same color.

9. A system, in medical surgery, for accounting for surgical pads used in a surgical operation, the system including:

A. a plurality of surgical pads adapted for use in a surgical operation, each pad having a front and a back face and each pad having a radio-opaque component;

B. a first set of human readable numbers, at least some of said numbers being different numbers from the others of said numbers, each of said pads, on at least one said faces exhibiting at least one of said first set of numbers;

C. a container adapted to receive used surgical pads having a plurality of pockets, each pocket having a front face being of a suitable size and shape to receive a used pad;

D. a second set of human readable numbers which match the numbers of the first set of numbers;

at least some of said second set of numbers being different numbers from the others of said second set of numbers;

E. the front faces of at least some of said pockets exhibiting said second set of numbers;

wherein pads may be inserted into pockets having matching numbers after the pads are used.

10. A system in medical surgery as in claim 9 wherein the first and second set of numbers are in the range of 2 to 6 inches high.

11. A system in medical surgery as in claim 9 wherein the first set of numbers are printed on said front and back faces of each pad, the number on the front face of each pad being the same as the number on the back face of each pad.

12. A system in medical surgery as in claim 9 wherein the first set of numbers are printed on said pads.

13. A system in medical surgery as in claim 9 wherein the second set of numbers are printed on the pockets.

14. A system in medical surgery as in claim 9 wherein the first set of numbers are in one color and the second set of numbers are in the same color.

15. A method, in medical surgery, for accounting for surgical pads used in a surgical operation, the method including:

A. providing a plurality of surgical pads adapted for use in a surgical operation, each pad having a front and a back face;

B. printing on said pads a first set of human readable character markings, at least some of said first set of markings being different characters from the others of said first markings, each of said pads, on at least one said faces exhibiting at least one of said first set of markings;

C. providing a container adapted to receive used surgical pads having a plurality of pockets, each pocket having a front face being of a suitable size and shape to receive a used pad;

D. printing on the pockets a second set of human readable character marking which match in character the characters of the first set of markings;

at least some of said second set of markings being different characters from the others of said second set of markings;

so that the front faces of at least some of said pockets exhibit said second set of character markings; and

E, inserting used pads into pockets having matching characters.

16. A method in medical surgery as in claim 15 wherein the first and second sets of character markings are alphanumeric characters.

17. A method in medical surgery as in claim 15 wherein the first and second sets of character markings are numbers.

19. A method in medical surgery as in claim 15 wherein the first and second character markings are in the range of 2 to 6 inches high.

20. A method in medical surgery as in claim 15 wherein the first set of character markings are printed on said front and back faces of each pad, the character on the front face of each pad being the same as the character on the back face of each pad.

21. A method in medical surgery as in claim 15 wherein the first character markings are in one color and the second character markings are in the same color.

22. A method in medical surgery as in claim 15 wherein at least some of the pads have a radio-opaque component.