METHOD AND APPARATUS TO ACCOUNT FOR TRANSPONDER TAGGED OBJECTS USED DURING MEDICAL PROCEDURES
First Claim
1. A method of accounting for medical procedure objects, the method comprising:
- at least proximate a start of a medical procedure on a patient, automatically detecting each of a number of medical procedure objects for performing the medical procedure within at least one sterile field which at least one sterile field is at least proximate to the patient but which at least one sterile filed does not encompass any portion of a body of the patient; and
at least proximate an end of the medical procedure on the patient, automatically determining whether each of the number of medical procedure objects detected within the at least one sterile field at least proximate the start of the medical procedure are present in at least one of either the at least one sterile field or at least one non-sterile field, neither of which the at least one sterile field or the at least one non-sterile field encompass any portion of the body of the patient.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Medical procedure related objects (e.g., instruments, supplies) tagged with transponders may be accounted for in a medical procedure environment via a medical object accounting system using a number of antennas, and optional readers. A first set of antennas may be configured to interrogate sterile fields and/or non-sterile fields which do not encompass a body of a patient to account for the objects proximate a start and an end of a medical procedure. Sterile fields may encompass working surfaces of tables and stands, typically used by nurses. Readers (e.g., symbol, RFID) may be employed. A database may be maintained with information including a current status of each instrument or supply, for instance as checked in or checked out. On notification of a discrepancy, a handheld antenna and/or second set of antennas may interrogate a volume encompassing a body of a patient for retained instruments or supplies. The system may be automatically configured (e.g., loading appropriate software) on communicative coupling of a device (e.g., antenna, reader, peripheral device).
166 Citations
33 Claims
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1. A method of accounting for medical procedure objects, the method comprising:
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at least proximate a start of a medical procedure on a patient, automatically detecting each of a number of medical procedure objects for performing the medical procedure within at least one sterile field which at least one sterile field is at least proximate to the patient but which at least one sterile filed does not encompass any portion of a body of the patient; and at least proximate an end of the medical procedure on the patient, automatically determining whether each of the number of medical procedure objects detected within the at least one sterile field at least proximate the start of the medical procedure are present in at least one of either the at least one sterile field or at least one non-sterile field, neither of which the at least one sterile field or the at least one non-sterile field encompass any portion of the body of the patient. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A system to account for medical procedure objects, the system comprising:
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a plurality of sterile fields, each of the sterile fields encompassing an area that excludes any portion of a body of a patient on which a medical procedure is performed; a control subsystem including at least one processor and at least one processor-readable storage medium, the control subsystem configured to; at least proximate a start of a medical procedure on a patient, automatically detect each of a number of medical procedure objects for performing the medical procedure within any of the sterile fields; and at least proximate an end of the medical procedure on the patient, automatically determine whether each of the number of medical procedure objects detected within any of the sterile fields at least proximate the start of the medical procedure are present in at least one of either the sterile fields or at least one non-sterile field. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A system to account for medical procedure objects, the system comprising:
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a computer system including at least one processor and at least one computer-readable storage medium; and a number of readers to monitor a number of sterile fields in which at least one of medical implements or medical supplies are kept for use during medical procedures, and which any single one of the sterile fields does not encompass a patient support surface that supports a patient during a medical procedure, the readers selectively communicatively coupleable to the computer system, and wherein a set of instructions are loaded to the at least one computer-readable storage medium in response to an initial communicative coupling of one of the readers to the computer system, the instructions executable by the at least one processor to cause the computer system to check the medical implements and medical supplies into and out of the sterile fields. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29)
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30. A method of operating a medical procedure object accounting system, the method comprising:
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detecting by a computer system an initial communicative coupling of an initial reader; loading a first set of instructions to at least one computer-readable storage medium in response to the detection of an initial communicative coupling of the initial reader to the computer system, the instructions executable by at least one processor of the computer system to cause the computer system to check the medical implements and medical supplies into and out of the sterile fields; and executing the first set of instructions by the at least one processor. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33)
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Specification