Dynamic Control Containment Unit
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is a dynamic control containment unit for holding a plurality of discrete items, including a signal emitting mechanism associated with each of the plurality of discrete items, an enclosed housing having at least one receptacle accessible by a user and having at least one of the plurality of items contained therein, a passive signal receiving mechanism in communication with the receptacle for receiving signals emanating from the signal emitting mechanism and a securement system configured to prevent unauthorized access to the dynamic control containment unit. A controller is in communication with the signal receiving mechanism and initiates actions based upon the signal content.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1-20. -20. (canceled)
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21. A system for managing an inventory of items, comprising:
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a containment unit comprising at least one inner area and at least one drawer or door providing access to the at least one inner area, the at least one inner area adapted to store a plurality of items, each item of the plurality of items comprising a tag or label having item data stored thereon; at least one locking mechanism adapted to lock and unlock the at least one drawer or door; at least one sensor adapted to detect a movement of the at least one drawer or door to an at least partially closed position from an at least partially open position; at least one antenna adapted to receive the item data; a control device in communication with the at least one antenna, the at least one sensor, and an inventory database comprising an item inventory of items stored in the at least one inner area of the containment unit, the control device programmed or configured to; (i) unlock, with the at least one locking mechanism, the at least one drawer or door in response to at least one of the following;
receiving a request from an individual to access the containment unit, authorizing an individual requesting access to the containment unit, or any combination thereof;(ii) determine an updated item inventory of the containment unit or a portion of the containment unit based on data received from the at least one antenna, the determination made in response to at least one of the following;
receiving at least one signal from the at least one sensor indicating that the at least one drawer or door is moved to an at least partially closed position from an at least partially open position, a set interval elapsing after receiving the at least one signal from the at least one sensor, or any combination thereof;(iii) determine at least one item removed or added by the individual by comparing the updated item inventory to a previous item inventory; and (iv) associate the individual with the at least one item in the inventory database or a separate database. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A hospital containment unit for managing and tracking an inventory of a plurality of medical items in a hospital environment, each medical item of the plurality of medical items associated with data stored on at least one signal emitting mechanism fixed or attached to the medical item, comprising:
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a cabinet adapted to be opened and closed; a sensor adapted to detect the cabinet being closed; at least one locking mechanism adapted to lock and unlock the cabinet; at least one signal receiving mechanism configured to receive item data from a plurality of signal emitting mechanisms fixed or attached to the plurality of medical items inside the cabinet; at least one controller programmed to;
unlock the at least one locking mechanism after authenticating or authorizing an individual;
receive a signal from the sensor indicating that the cabinet has been closed;
determine an updated item inventory after the signal is received from the sensor;
compare a previous item inventory to the updated item inventory to identify at least one item removed or added to the cabinet; and
update data stored in a hospital database based on an identification of the individual and the at least one item identified. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A method for managing an inventory of items in a containment unit, comprising:
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detecting access information for an individual; determining, with at least one controller, if the individual is authorized to access the containment unit based at least partially on at least a portion of the access information; unlocking, with at least one controller, at least part of the containment unit in response to determining that the individual is authorized; detecting, with at least one sensor, that the containment unit is placed in a closed position after being at least partially open; determining, with at least one controller, a new inventory of the containment unit by scanning items within the containment unit with at least one device; identifying at least one item removed from the containment unit or added to the containment unit by comparing the inventory to the new inventory; and associating, in a database, the individual with the at least one item. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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Specification