METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATED MEDICAL SUPPLY TAKE/STORE TRACKING

• US 20110010275A1
• Filed: 07/09/2009
• Published: 01/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carefusion 303 Incorporated (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: Carefusion 303 Incorporated (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Hull, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 8,341,041 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00896 specially adapted for particular uses

Abstract

A supply cabinet is fitted with an outer sensor and an inner sensor. The outer and inner sensor wirelessly sense inventory items tagged with radio frequency tags and in proximity of the sensors. A method of tracking inventory items stored in a supply cabinet includes determining, based on time sequencing of sensing by the outer and the inner sensor, if an inventory item was removed from the cabinet or stored into the cabinet, and updating an inventory database accordingly. An alarm is optionally triggered if an inventory item is removed by an unauthorized user.

Claims

1. A storage cabinet apparatus, comprising:

at least one storage cabinet compartment having an opening for access to the cabinet compartment;

a first sensor positioned within the storage cabinet to have a first zone of sensing; and

a second sensor positioned within the storage cabinet to have a second zone of sensing;

wherein, compared to the second zone of sensing, the first zone of sensing is closer to the opening of the storage cabinet compartment; and

wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are configured to sense an inventory item in the first zone of sensing and the second zone of sensing respectively.

2. The storage apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a processor communicatively coupled to the first sensor and the second sensor; and

wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are configured to send a signal to the processor in response to sensing an inventory item.

3. The storage apparatus in claim 1, wherein the first sensor uses a first wireless technology for sensing and the second sensor uses a second wireless technology for sensing.

4. The storage apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first wireless technology and the second wireless technology comprise the ISO-14443 near-field communication (NFC) standard.

5. The storage apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to determine storage and removal of an inventory item responsive to temporal locations of the sensing of the inventory item by the first sensor and the second sensor.

6. The storage apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processor updates an inventory database responsive to a directionality of the sensing of the inventory item by the first sensor and the second sensor.

7. The storage apparatus of claim 2, wherein the signal comprises a message having an item-dependent portion and an item-independent portion.

8. The storage apparatus of claim 7, wherein the item-dependent portion comprises an identity of the inventory item.

9. The storage apparatus of claim 8, wherein the identity comprises a character string.

10. The storage apparatus of claim 9, wherein the item-independent portion comprises a timestamp.

11. A method of tracking inventory of items stored in a supply cabinet, the method comprising:

receiving, at a processor, a first sensing message from a first sensor and a second sensing message from a second sensor that is spaced apart from the first sensor; and

updating, at the processor, an inventory database for items in the supply cabinet;

wherein said updating is responsive to time instants of sensing the inventory item at the first sensor and the second sensor.

12. The method in claim 11, wherein the wireless technology comprises a near-field (NFC) communication technology.

13. The method in claim 12, wherein, in comparison to the first sensor, the second sensor is placed closer towards an opening of the supply cabinet for access by a user.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

determining time sequencing of sensing the inventory item at the first sensor and at the second sensor.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

if sensing the inventory item at the first sensor occurred prior to sensing the inventory item at the second sensor, then said updating comprises removing the inventory item from the inventory database; and

if sensing the inventory item at the first sensor occurred at or after sensing the inventory item at the second sensor, then said updating comprises adding the inventory item to the inventory database.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

issuing an alarm if said updating comprises removing and if the inventory item is of a predetermined type.

16. A secure storage apparatus for storing a plurality of inventory items, the secure storage apparatus comprising:

a supply cabinet with a door;

a first sensor positioned inside the door;

a second sensor positioned between the door and the first sensor; and

a processor communicatively coupled with the first sensor and the second sensor;

wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are configured to sense proximate inventory items and communicate corresponding sensory messages to the processor;

wherein the processor is configured to;

restrict a user'"'"'s ability to open the door;

determine, based on sensory messages received from the first sensor and the second sensor, if a predetermined inventory item was removed; and

issue an alarm if the user opening the door was not authorized to remove the predetermined inventory item.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor use a sensing technology comprising the ISO 14443 near-field communication (NFC) technology.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the alarm comprises one or more of:

an audible sound, a visible signal and a computer log.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to allow a user to open the door only if the user presents a correct username/password combination.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the predetermined item is an expired or recalled medicinal item.