METHOD FOR USING A STERILE PRODUCT PREPARATION FOR SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS

• US 20090028747A1
• Filed: 11/11/2004
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Burkart Beteiligungen GmbH
• Original Assignee: Burkart Beteiligungen GmbH
• Inventors: Burkart, Nikolai P.
• Application Number:
  US11/577,123
• Publication Number:
  US 20090028747A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/24 Apparatus using programmed or automatic operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/26 Accessories or devices or components used for biocidal treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/182 Rigid packaging means
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/24 Medical instruments, e.g. endoscopes, catheters, sharps

Abstract

A method for using a sterile product preparation for surgical instruments or sterile product units of any type during which surgical instruments or sterile product units of the most varied type and origin are fed to a sterile product processing system. The aim of the invention is to provide each surgical instrument or each sterile product unit with a transporter in order to assign the surgical instrument, after having been treated in the sterile product processing system, to a specified user.

Claims

1. A method for operating a sterile product processing system for surgical instruments (4) or sterile product units (1) of any type, in which surgical instruments (4) or sterile product units (1) of the most varied type and origin are fed to a sterile product processing installation (5),

characterized in that

each surgical instrument (4) or each sterile product unit (1) is provided with a transponder (6) in order to assign the surgical instrument (4), after treatment in the sterile product processing installation (5), to a specified user.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, by assigning a transponder (6) to the sterile product unit (1) or a sieve for receiving a certain unit and selection of surgical instruments (4) or to each surgical instrument (4) itself, it is possible, in a sorting facility arranged downstream of the sterile product processing system, to perform a corresponding evaluation and user assignment.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that, in a first method step, the surgical instruments (4) and/or sterile product units (1) are fed to the sterile product processing installation (5), and a first rough preliminary cleaning takes place.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that assigning transponders (6) to sterile product units (1) and/or to desired surgical instruments (4) allows a selection to be made for different users, for example different hospitals, different surgical departments, different physicians, etc., and this selection allows a corresponding local distribution and assignment of the surgical instruments (4) or of the sterile product units (1) to be carried out in an automated manner.

5. The method as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that assigning a transponder (6) to the surgical instrument (4) and/or to the sterile product unit (1) makes it possible to store specific data for the surgical instrument (4) or for the sterile product unit (1), including data concerning the contents of the latter, in which case data such as age, wear, required repair costs, replacement parts and repaired parts, repairs, and repair management are stored on the transponder (6), read in and/or updated.

6. The method as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that assigning the transponder (6) to the surgical instrument (4) and/or to the sterile product unit (1) permits permanent localization and position determination, by means of which it is possible to determine or retrieve not only the location of the surgical instrument (4) or sterile product unit (1), but also the time at which the surgical instrument (4) or sterile product unit (1) will be available to the user.

7. The method as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that assigning a transponder (6) to the surgical instrument (4) and/or to the sterile product unit (1) permits equipment management, for example for operating theaters, mobile military hospitals, surgical departments, physicians, or the like.

8. The method as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that all the data for the surgical instrument (4) and/or for the sterile product unit (1) are retrieved via corresponding transmitters (7) in the area of the sterile product processing system, in the area of the sterile product packaging, in the area of the sterile product supply and of the sterile product transport, and in the area of the stockroom, and also in the area of the operating theater, field hospital, or the like, and can be stored via a central computer.

9. A surgical instrument (4), or a sterile product unit (1) for receiving a number of selected surgical instruments (4), characterized in that at least one transponder (6) is assigned to the surgical instrument (4) and/or to the sterile product unit (1).

10. The surgical instrument (4) or sterile product unit (1) as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that the transponder (6) is assigned to the surgical instrument (4) particularly in a handle area.

11. The surgical instrument (4) or sterile product unit (1) as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that the transponder (6) is assigned to the sterile product unit (1), particularly to the housing and/or to the lid (2).

12. The surgical instrument (4) or sterile product unit (1) as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that position data, repair data, purchase costs, depreciation, wear, age, size, repair intervals or the like can be retrieved from and/or stored in the transponder (6).

13. The surgical instrument (4) or sterile product unit (1) as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that, after a processing operation in a sterile product processing installation (5), the transponder (6) permits automated sorting and assignment and, if appropriate, transport to the user or stockroom.