Method and Apparatus for Surgical Instrument Identification

• US 20100176925A1
• Filed: 03/23/2010
• Published: 07/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Warsaw Orthopedic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Warsaw Orthopedic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Elliott, Paul, Nycz, Jeffrey, Varner, Robert, Tethrake, Steven, Pelo, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 8,454,613 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.100
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/33 Trays
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/00 Instruments, implements or accessories specially adapted for surgery or diagnosis and not covered by any of the groups A61B1/00 - A61B50/00, e.g. for luxation treatment or for protecting wound edges protective face masks A41D13/11; surgeon's or patient's gowns or dresses A41D13/12; devices for carrying-off, for treatment of, or for carrying-over, body liquids A61M1/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/98 using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders

Abstract

Systems and methods for identifying surgical instruments by use of radio-frequency identification tags (RFID) are disclosed. In the systems and methods, each of a plurality of surgical instruments is provided with at least one RFID transponder tag storing identification information associated with the corresponding instrument. The tag may be adhered to, embedded, or potted within a portion of the instrument. Using an RFID reading device, a user may interrogate the tag, thereby identifying the particular instrument. This identification information may be used to index a database and retrieve a data record unique to that instrument. The systems and methods allow a user to track, inspect, and verify inbound and outbound surgical instruments, to assess, for example, the surgical instruments'"'"' duty life cycle usage.

Claims

1. A method for identifying surgical instruments that should be serviced, comprising:

physically associating at least one radio frequency identification tag with at least one surgical instrument by embedding the tag in a portion of a surgical instrument;

programming the tag with identification information corresponding to the at least one surgical instrument;

presenting the at least one surgical instrument into a wireless radio frequency field of a reader device;

receiving at the reading device an RF data signal from the at least one radio frequency tagged surgical instruments containing identification information;

comparing the identification information from the at least one radio frequency tagged surgical instruments to previously stored information in a database; and

identifying if the at least one radio frequency tagged surgical instruments should be serviced.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein physically associating includes seamlessly enclosing the tag in a handle portion of the surgical instrument using a non-conductive material.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the tag is enclosed in the handle portion using a silicone overmolding.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein physically associating includes forming an insulating layer between the tag and a conductive portion of the surgical instrument.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein programming includes writing information to the tag using an RF tag writing device, the information selected from at least one member of the group consisting of a number of times that servicing has been performed on the instrument and a set of dates that servicing has been performed on the instrument.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein servicing includes autoclaving or ultrasonic cleaning.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing includes retrieving a data record from the database based on the received identification information and displaying at least a portion of the data record on a display screen of the reading device.

8. A system for determining if an action needs to be taken upon the contents of a surgical instrument tray, comprising:

a surgical instrument tray having at least one surgical instrument comprising an RFID transponder tag embedded in a portion of the at least one surgical instrument and having identification information corresponding to the at least one surgical instrument stored in a memory therein;

a reader device that, when placed in proximity to the at least one instrument, generates an RF field of sufficient strength to cause the RFID transponder tag to emit a signal containing at least some of its stored identification information, the signal being received by the reader device; and

a database coupled to the reader device for storing information corresponding to the identification information read by the reader device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the tag is seamlessly enclosed in a handle portion of the surgical instrument using a non-conductive material.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the tag is enclosed in the handle portion using a silicone overmolding.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the identification information comprises information selected from the group consisting of a number of times that servicing has been performed on the instrument and a set of dates that servicing has been performed on the instrument.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein servicing includes autoclaving or ultrasonic cleaning.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the reader device retrieves a data record from the database based on the received identification information and determines if any additional surgical instruments are missing from the surgical instrument tray and if any of the at least one surgical instrument is improperly located in the surgical instrument tray based, at least in part, on the data record and the identification information.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one surgical instrument includes an insulating layer between the tag and a conductive portion of the surgical instrument.