CONTAINERIZED INVENTORY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM UTILIZING IDENTIFICATION TAGS

• US 20090294531A1
• Filed: 03/03/2009
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Allen B. Kantrowitz, In K.I. Mun
• Original Assignee: Allen B. Kantrowitz, In K.I. Mun
• Inventors: Kantrowitz, Allen B., Mun, In Ki
• Application Number:
  US12/396,968
• Publication Number:
  US 20090294531A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/385
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06009 with optically detectable marking G06K19/063, G06K19/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1097 Optical sensing of electronic memory record carriers, such as interrogation of RFIDs with an additional optical interface

Abstract

An inventory control process includes the association of an inventory item with a reusable container at an origination point. The container is inclusive of a passive or active identification tag. The container is transported within the range of a transponder able to share information with the identification tag. Upon reaching a destination point, the inventory item is unpacked from the container and the container recycled for association with a new inventory item. An inventory delivery device includes a reusable container labeled with an active identification tag. An inventory item is inserted within the container. A disposable tamper-evident seal retaining the inventory item with the container is provided. The device is particularly well suited for transportation for timely and high clinical value items within a medical care setting.

Claims

1. An inventory control process comprising:

associating at least one inventory item with a reusable container at an origination point comprising an optical transponder equipped identification tag;

transporting said container into a communicative range with at least one transponder able to share information with said identification tag;

unpacking said at least one inventory item from said container at a destination point; and

recycling said container to be associated with a new inventory item.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein association is performed by optical or magnetic scanning of said at least one inventory item and associating the scanned data with said identification tag.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein said optical transponder equipped identification tag comprises:

a substrate;

an information processing mechanism on said substrate and containing a datum;

an interrogating signal receiver for receiving an energy input outside the radiofrequency range; and

an output signal transmitter for communicating said datum external to said substrate as an emission outside the radiofrequency range.

4. The process of claim 3 wherein said receiver receives an optical energy input and said transmitter emission is optical.

5. The process of claim 3 wherein said receiver receives an optical energy input and said transmitter emission is magnetic.

6. The process of claim 3 wherein said receiver receives an optical energy input and said transmitter emission is piezoelectric.

7. The process of claim 3 further comprising a radiofrequency energy receiver yielding an RF power input and RF signal input, and a power control apparatus.

8. The process of claim 1 wherein transporting said container occurs through a portion of pressurized air tube.

9. The process of claim 8 wherein said pressurized air tube is found within a hospital.

10. The process of claim 1 further comprising applying a tamper-evident seal to said container prior to transportation thereof.

11. The process of claim 1 further comprising identifying an optimal route for transportation of said container with a self-learning route controller program operating on a computer.

12. The process of claim 11 wherein said route controller program is a neural network.

13. The process of claim 1 further comprising checking timetable delivery scheduling during the transporting of said container.

14. An inventory delivery device comprising:

a reusable container labeled with an optical transponder equipped identification tag;

an inventory item within said container; and

a disposable tamper-evident seal retaining said inventory item in association with said container.