Method and System for Management of Operating-Room Resources

• US 20090125337A1
• Filed: 11/13/2008
• Published: 05/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karl Storz Se & Co. Kg
• Original Assignee: How to Organize H2O GmbH
• Inventors: Abri, Omid
• Granted Patent: US 8,452,615 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for managing operating-room resources in a hospital includes the steps of receiving at least one surgery request, identifying the resources required for surgery associated with the surgery request, capturing initial data on availability of the resources, capturing initial patient data, and establishing a pre-scheduled operating-room plan based on an initial optimization, and the further steps of capturing current data on availability of the resources, capturing current patient data and establishing a current operating-room plan based on a current optimization. A computer-based system for managing operating-room resources in a hospital and a modular computer-based system for managing operating-room related processes in a hospital are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for managing operating-room resources in a hospital, including the steps of

receiving at least one surgery request,

identifying the resources required for surgery associated with the surgery request,

capturing initial data on availability of the resources,

capturing initial patient data, and

establishing a pre-scheduled operating-room plan based on an initial optimization,

characterized in the further steps of

capturing current data on availability of the resources,

capturing current patient data and

establishing a current operating-room plan based on a current optimization.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that emergency requests are received.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the current data on availability of the resources and/or the current patient data are captured in real-time, and that a real-time operating-room plan is established based on a real-time optimization.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein real-time data on at least one operating-room related process are captured.

5. The method according to claim 4, where the real-time data on the operating-room related process include data on deviations of the operating-room related process from a pre-determined process path.

6. The method according to claim 5, where the deviations include deviations automatically detected by means of a location monitoring system.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that if a deviation is detected, a notification is transmitted to a communication device related to the deviation.

8. A Computer-based system for managing operating-room resources in a hospital, comprising at least one computer and software executing on said computer for

receiving at least one surgery request.

identifying the resources required for surgery associated with the surgery request,

capturing initial data on availability of the resources,

capturing initial patient data, and

establishing a pre-scheduled operating-room plan based on an initial optimization

characterized in the further steps of

capturing current data on availability of the resources,

capturing current patient data and

establishing a current operating-room plan based on a current optimization.

9. A modular system for managing operating-room related processes in a hospital, including

a control unit for operating a process control bus for controlling at least one operating-room related process in the hospital,

the control unit being connectable in a modular manner to a multiplicity of modules, and

at least one of a multiplicity of modules operatively connected to the control unit, the module controlling at least one task in an operating-room related process in the hospital.

10. The modular system according to claim 9, further comprising an operating-room resource planner module for planning operating-room resources.

11. The modular system according to claim 9, characterized in that it further includes a localisation system for locating and/or tracking the operating-room resources.

12. The modular system according to claim 9, characterized in that it further includes an operating-room resource steering system for steering the workflows into and out of an operating room unit, alerting in case of deviation from planned pathways, reminding tasks along pathways, and/or visualisation of all operating-room related pathways in the hospital.

13. The modular system according to claim 9, characterized in that it is designed for alerting according to the number of uses of surgical instruments and/or to time limits for the use of surgical instruments or material, in particular sterilisation limits.

14. The modular system according to claim 13, characterized in that it is operatively connectable to a sterilizer unit.

15. The modular system according to claim 9, characterized in that it further includes an automatic documentation system for automatic documentation of pre-, intra- and/or post-operative activities.