SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TRACKING AND MANAGING TRANSPORTATION OF SPECIMENS
First Claim
1. A system for tracking a medical specimen obtained from one location through multiple locations thereafter comprising:
- a central computer with a computer readable medium;
status information stored in said computer readable medium and associated with a specimen;
first location information stored in said computer readable medium;
second location information stored in said computer readable medium;
progress information representing the progress of the processing of said specimen stored in said computer readable medium; and
,a set of computer readable instructions embodied in said computer readable medium for receiving specimen identification information associated with a specimen origination from said first location, associating said specimen identification with said first location information so that the origination of said specimen is known, receiving progress information representing that said specimen has been picked up from said first location, updating said status information representing that said specimen has been picked up from said first location, receiving progress information representing that said specimen has been delivered to said second location, associating said second location information with said specimen identification information, and updating said status information representing that said specimen has been delivered to said second location so that the physical location of the specimen can be tracked during the processing of the specimen; and
a portable computing device in communication with said central computer, comprising;
a portable computer readable medium;
a second set of computer readable instructions embodied in said portable computer readable medium for receiving said specimen identification information associated with a specimen origination from said first location, associating said specimen identification with said first location information so that the origination of said specimen is known, receiving progress information representing that said specimen has been picked up from said first location, updating said status information representing that said specimen has been picked up from said first location, receiving progress information representing that said specimen has been delivered to said second location, associating said second location information with said specimen identification information, and updating said status information representing that said specimen has been delivered to said second location so that the physical location of the specimen can be tracked during the processing of the specimen.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The invention provides a system and method for tracking and managing transportation of specimens from a first location such as a medical office to a second location such as a testing lab for processing. A courier using a portable computing device can receive information when a specimen is ready for pick up from a first location. The courier will travel to a first location and enter specimen identification information into the portable computing device as well as first location information. Therefore, the portable computing device will have a record that the specimen has been picked up from the first location. The specimen is then carried to a second location and the courier enters the status of the specimen to show that it has been delivered to the second location for processing and a record exists to show that the specimen has been delivered to the second location. Lab results can be sent via the invention from the second location to the first location. A chain of custody and tracking system is therefore provided to reduce the risk of mishandled or even lost specimens and processing results.
25 Citations
37 Claims
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1. A system for tracking a medical specimen obtained from one location through multiple locations thereafter comprising:
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a central computer with a computer readable medium; status information stored in said computer readable medium and associated with a specimen; first location information stored in said computer readable medium; second location information stored in said computer readable medium; progress information representing the progress of the processing of said specimen stored in said computer readable medium; and
,a set of computer readable instructions embodied in said computer readable medium for receiving specimen identification information associated with a specimen origination from said first location, associating said specimen identification with said first location information so that the origination of said specimen is known, receiving progress information representing that said specimen has been picked up from said first location, updating said status information representing that said specimen has been picked up from said first location, receiving progress information representing that said specimen has been delivered to said second location, associating said second location information with said specimen identification information, and updating said status information representing that said specimen has been delivered to said second location so that the physical location of the specimen can be tracked during the processing of the specimen; and a portable computing device in communication with said central computer, comprising; a portable computer readable medium; a second set of computer readable instructions embodied in said portable computer readable medium for receiving said specimen identification information associated with a specimen origination from said first location, associating said specimen identification with said first location information so that the origination of said specimen is known, receiving progress information representing that said specimen has been picked up from said first location, updating said status information representing that said specimen has been picked up from said first location, receiving progress information representing that said specimen has been delivered to said second location, associating said second location information with said specimen identification information, and updating said status information representing that said specimen has been delivered to said second location so that the physical location of the specimen can be tracked during the processing of the specimen. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A system for tracking a specimen having identification information originating at a first location for processing at a second location comprising:
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a computer readable medium; status information stored in said computer readable medium and associated with said specimen; first location information stored in said computer readable medium; second location information stored in said computer readable medium; progress information representing the progress of the processing of said specimen stored in said computer readable medium; and a set of computer readable instructions embodied in said computer readable medium for receiving specimen identification information associated with a specimen origination from said first location, associating said specimen identification with said first location information so that the origin of said specimen is known, receiving progress information representing that said specimen has been picked up from said first location, updating said status information representing that said specimen has been picked up from said first location, receiving progress information representing that said specimen has been delivered to said second location, associating said second location information with said specimen identification information, updating said status information representing that said specimen has been delivered to said second location so that the physical location of the specimen can be tracked during the processing of the specimen, transmitting said status information to a portable computing device so that a user of said portable computing device will know the status of the specimen. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A system for tracking a specimen wherein a specimen courier uses a portable computing device comprising:
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a portable computer readable medium; and a set of portable computer readable instructions embodied in said portable computer readable medium for receiving specimen identification information from said computer readable medium, receiving process information from said compute readable medium representing that said specimen is ready for pick up from said first location, receiving process information from the courier that said specimen has been picked up from said first location, transmitting said process information to said computer readable medium representing that said specimen has been picked up, receiving process information from the courier representing that said specimen has been delivered to said second location, and transmitting said process information to said computer readable medium representing that said specimen has been delivered to said second location. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 32)
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24. A system for tracking a specimen having identification information originating at a first location for processing at a second location comprising:
- a portable computer readable medium in communications with a central computer readable medium;
first location information embodied in said portable computer readable medium;
second location information embodied in said portable computer readable medium; and
, a set of portable computer readable instructions embodied in said portable computer readable medium for receiving specimen identification information, associating said specimen identification information with said first location information, generating process information representing that said specimen has been picked up from said first location, generating process information indicating that said specimen has been delivered to said second location, and associating said second location information with said specimen information. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
- a portable computer readable medium in communications with a central computer readable medium;
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33. A method of tracking a specimen having identification information and associated status information originating from a first location having first location information for processing at a second location having second location information, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving specimen identification information; associating a first location information with said specimen identification information; picking up a specimen from a first location; updating status information indicating that said specimen has been picked up from said first location; delivering said specimen to a second location for processing; associating second location information with said specimen identification information; and
;updating said status information indicating that said specimen has been delivered to said second location. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37)
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Specification