METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR STORING MEDICAL SUPPLIES

• US 20100235179A1
• Filed: 03/10/2009
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carefusion 303 Incorporated (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: Cardinal Health 303 Incorporated (Cardinal Health, Inc.)
• Inventors: Utech, Thomas, Kienle, Patricia, Zimmerman, Jonathan, Zeringue, Mary, Goetz, Alisa, Yamaga, Cynthia
• Granted Patent: US 8,355,929 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

Storing of medical supplies is performed according to rules promoting safety and ergonomics. The physical arrangement of medical supplies within a storage unit is analyzed. An inventory of medical supplies to be stored in the storage unit is established. A new physical arrangement of medical supplies within the storage unit is determined based on the rules for storing medical supplies and the inventory. The storage unit is configured according to the new physical arrangement. The physical locations within the storage unit where each of the medical supplies is to be stored are indicated. The medical supplies are stored in the indicated locations.

Claims

1. A system for storing medical supplies comprising:

a storage unit configured to store medical supplies;

a database configured to store rules for storing medical supplies;

an organizational unit configured to determine a physical arrangement of medical supplies within the storage unit based on the rules for storing medical supplies; and

an indicator configured to indicate physical locations within the storage unit to store medical supplies based on the determined physical arrangement.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an inventory of medical supplies, wherein the inventory comprises medical supplies already present in the storage unit as well as medical supplies that are to be at least one of added and removed from the storage unit, the organizational unit being further configured to determine the physical arrangement based on the rules for storing medical supplies and the inventory of medical supplies.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a monitor configured to monitor the amounts of medical supplies present in the storage unit and configured to alert users of the storage unit when medical supplies must be at least one of replenished and added to the storage unit based on at least one of par levels and updated patient information.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the organizational unit is configured to determine an ergonomically optimal physical arrangement of medical supplies within the storage unit.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the organizational unit and the indicator are on a single hand-held device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the organizational unit is connected to a second database, the second database storing information regarding the contents of the storage unit.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the organizational unit and the indicator are on the storage unit.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the indicator is further configured to confirm correct physical storage of medical supplies in the storage unit according to the determined physical arrangement and to alert users of the storage unit of incorrect physical storage of medical supplies in the storage unit according to the determined physical arrangement.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the rules for storing medical supplies are based at least on safety so as to reduce the likelihood of at least one of incorrectly storing and incorrectly retrieving medical supplies.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the rules for storing medical supplies relating to safety comprise rules regarding the storage of medical supplies that at least one of look alike and have names that sound alike.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a scanner configured to scan labels on medical supplies to be stored in the storage unit.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the scanner, the organizational unit and the indicator are on a single hand-held device.

13. A method for storing medical supplies comprising:

analyzing a physical arrangement of medical supplies within a storage unit configured to store medical supplies;

determining a new physical arrangement of medical supplies within the storage unit based on the rules for storing medical supplies;

configuring the storage unit according to the step of determining;

indicating a physical location within the storage unit to store each of the medical supplies based on the new physical arrangement; and

storing each of the medical supplies in the storage unit according to the step of indicating.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

monitoring the amounts of medical supplies present in the storage unit; and

alerting users of the storage unit to add medical supplies to the storage unit based on at least one of par levels and updated patient information.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the new physical arrangement is an ergonomically optimal physical arrangement of medical supplies within the storage unit.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising scanning labels on medical supplies to be stored in the storage unit.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising confirming correct physical storage of medical supplies in the storage unit according to the determined physical arrangement and alerting users of the storage unit of incorrect physical storage of medical supplies in the storage unit according to the determined physical arrangement.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising establishing an inventory of medical supplies to be stored in the storage unit, wherein the inventory comprises medical supplies already present in the storage unit as well as medical supplies that are to be at least one of added to and removed from the storage unit, and wherein the determining of the new physical arrangement is further based on the inventory.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the establishing comprises checking a database which stores information regarding the contents of the storage unit.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the rules for storing medical supplies are based at least on safety, so as to reduce the likelihood of at least one of incorrectly storing and incorrectly retrieving medical supplies.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the rules for storing medical supplies relating to safety comprise rules regarding the storage of medical supplies that at least one of look alike and have names that sound alike.

22. A computer-readable medium storing instructions thereon causing a computer to execute a method comprising:

analyzing a physical arrangement of medical supplies within a storage unit configured to store medical supplies;

determining a new physical arrangement of medical supplies within the storage unit based on the rules for storing medical supplies;

configuring the storage unit according to the step of determining;

indicating a physical location within the storage unit to store each of the medical supplies based on the new physical arrangement.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, the method further comprising:

monitoring the amounts of medical supplies present in the storage unit; and

alerting users of the storage unit to add medical supplies to the storage unit based on at least one of par levels and updated patient information.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the new physical arrangement is an ergonomically optimal physical arrangement of medical supplies within the storage unit.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, the method further comprising scanning labels on medical supplies to be stored in the storage unit.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, the method further comprising confirming correct physical storage of medical supplies in the storage unit according to the determined physical arrangement and alerting users of the storage unit of incorrect physical storage of medical supplies in the storage unit according to the determined physical arrangement.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, the method further comprising establishing an inventory of medical supplies to be stored in the storage unit, wherein the inventory comprises medical supplies already present in the storage unit as well as medical supplies that are to be at least one of added to and removed from the storage unit, and wherein the determining of the new physical arrangement is further based on the inventory.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the establishing comprises checking a database which stores information regarding the contents of the storage unit.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the rules for storing medical supplies are based at least on safety so as to reduce the likelihood of at least one of incorrectly storing and incorrectly retrieving medical supplies.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein the rules for storing medical supplies relating to safety comprise rules regarding the storage of medical supplies that at least one of look alike and have names that sound alike.