SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TRACKING SURGICAL ASSETS

• US 20080030345A1
• Filed: 05/24/2007
• Published: 02/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smith & Nephew Incorporated (Smith & Nephew PLC)
• Original Assignee: Smith & Nephew Incorporated (Smith & Nephew PLC)
• Inventors: Donati, Ralph, Troutman, Randall, Rains, James, Janna, Sied, Austin, Gene, Hulen, Mark, Wilson, Darren, Morgan, Robert, Granville, Nicholas
• Granted Patent: US 7,518,502 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.8
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/90 Identification means for patients or instruments, e.g. tags
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/98 using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

A system and method for identifying, locating, and managing inventory of sterilized medical devices located within a sealed sterilization case in preparation for a surgical procedure. Communication tags, such as radio frequency identification (RFID) and/or Global Positioning System (GPS) tags, are connected to the medical device and communicate information wirelessly. Information is obtained from the communication tags and sent to the database where it is compared with the information in the database. The results may be displayed on the interface thereby providing the user with information about the medical instruments contained in the sealed sterilization case without breaking the seal of the sealed sterilization case.

Claims

1. A system for tracking at least one surgical asset, the system comprising:

a. a first receiver for receiving a signal from a short-range transmitter, the signal containing localized location information corresponding to the medical device;

b. a processor for determining if localized location information corresponding to the medical device has been received;

c. a first long-range transmitter for requesting location information of the medical device;

d. a global positioning satellite reader operatively connected to the medical device, the global positioning satellite reader adapted to provide localized location information;

e. a medical device readiness sensor, the medical device readiness sensor configured to provide readiness data;

f. a second long-range transmitter operatively connected to the medical device and electrically connected to the global positioning satellite reader, the second transmitter configured to transmit localized location information obtained from the global positioning satellite reader; and

g. a storage device for electronically storing the localized location information and the readiness data.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the surgical asset is selected from the group consisting of a sterilization case, a medical instrument tray, a medical instrument, and a medical implant.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the short-range transmitter utilizes radio frequency transmission.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first long-range transmitter and the second long-range transmitter utilize microwave transmission.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first long-range transmitter and the second long-range transmitter form a portion of a wireless telephone network or a wireless pager network.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the surgical asset is a sealed sterilization case adapted to allow radio frequency signals to pass through at least one side of the case, the system further comprising:

a. at least one radio frequency identification tag;

b. at least one medical instrument contained in the sealed sterilization case and attached to the radio frequency identification tag; and

c. a reader adapted to obtain information, via radio frequency, from said radio frequency identification tag.

7. The system according to claim 6, further comprising at least one surface that has at least one opening adapted in size or shape to allow radio frequency signals to enter and leave the case.

8. The system according to claim 6, composed of a material that is configured to allow radio frequency signals to enter and leave the case.

9. The system according to claim 6, wherein the radio frequency identification tag associated with the instrument is embedded inside the instrument.

10. The system according to claim 6, wherein the radio frequency identification tag associated with the instrument is attached on the outside surface of the medical instrument.

11. The system according to claim 6, wherein each of the radio frequency identification tags is a passive device.

12. The system according to claim 6, wherein each of the radio frequency identification tags is an active device.

13. The system according to claim 6, wherein the reader is electrically connected to a microprocessor.

14. The system according to claim 6, wherein the reader is in wireless communication with a microprocessor.

15. The system according to claim 6, wherein the information includes at least one of the following:

a. the identification of the medical instrument to which the radio frequency identification tag is associated with;

b. the surgical technique associated with the medical instrument to which the radio frequency identification tag is associated with; and

c. the manufacturing history of the medical instrument to which the radio frequency identification tag is associated with.

16. The system according to claim 6, further comprising a case radio frequency identification tag attached or associated with the outside of the sterilization case.

17. The system according to claim 6, wherein the case radio frequency obtains information, via radio frequency, from the radio frequency tags associated with the medical instruments and communicates the information via radio frequency to the reader.

18. A method of tracking at least one surgical asset, comprising:

a. detecting if localized location information corresponding to the surgical asset has been received, the localized location information corresponding to a location determined from a signal received from a short-range transmitter;

b. if the localized location information has been received, then storing the localized location information;

c. if no localized location information has been received for a predetermined amount of time, then sending a location request;

d. receiving secondary location information corresponding to the surgical asset, the secondary location information corresponding to a location determined from global positioning satellites;

e. detecting if the surgical asset is ready for use; and

f. storing the secondary location information.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the localized location information is manually input by a user.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the localized location information is automatically uploaded when connected to the local area network.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the localized location information is determined by a real-time location system.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the short-range transmitter is an RFID transmitter.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the location request is sent over a wide-area wireless network.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the secondary location information is received over a wide-area wireless network.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein the predetermined amount of time is one day.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein the physical object has both an RFID transmitted and a GPS receiver.

27. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of reflecting a satellite signal.

28. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of determining the least expensive mode of communication.

29. A system for tracking at least one surgical asset, the system comprising:

a. an electronic component operatively connected to the surgical asset, the electronic component including a processor module;

b. a location module electrically connected to the processor module, the location module having a global positioning satellite reader;

c. a power module electrically connected to the processor module;

d. a communication module electrically connected to the processor module, the communication module having a short-range receiver and a long-range receiver;

e. an antenna module electrically connected to the processor module; and

f. a medical device readiness module electrically connected to the processor module.

30. A method for retrieving surgical information corresponding to a surgical asset, the method comprising:

a. detecting the surgical asset;

b. identifying the surgical asset;

c. retrieving a stored file corresponding to the identified surgical asset; and

d. executing the stored filed.