METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR TRACKING EQUIPMENT

• US 20140236615A1
• Filed: 02/18/2014
• Published: 08/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medical Solutions Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Medical Solutions Incorporated
• Inventors: Faries, Durward I. Jr., Ragusky, Stephanie, Cabrera, Alex
• Granted Patent: US 9,928,478 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

Abstract

Present invention embodiments include a tool to track manufactured and other products from cradle to grave. This includes tracking the history of locations where equipment has been placed, loaned, evaluated, stored, and sold. The system includes Return Authorization (RA) and Complaints for equipment and parts.

Claims

1. A system for tracking items comprising:

a computer system including at least one processor configured to;

provide a user interface to interact with a user and receive information concerning an item; and

process the received information and track placement of the item for a duration of an item operational life, wherein the tracking of item placement includes tracking of item locations and times of placement and removal of the item from those locations.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the item includes at least one of medical devices, parts, and accessories.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

link the item with another item being tracked; and

retrieve and provide information for the linked item based on the linking.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

determine a placement history based on the tracked item placement; and

export the placement history to a file.

5. The system of claim 1, further including:

a mobile device including a GPS capability to determine the item location and provide the item location to the computer system.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the item includes a GPS module to determine the item location.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

maintain one or more agreements associated with the item, wherein the agreements include one or more of an equipment agreement, a rental agreement, a warranty agreement, and a service agreement.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

track a returned item placed into stock.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

track a replacement item that replaces the returned item.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

create and maintain a complaint including incident information for the item.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

maintain one or more of documents and a replacement item associated with the complaint.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

interact with an external system to provide information pertaining to the item.

13. A computer-implemented method of tracking items comprising:

(a) providing a user interface, via a processor, to interact with a user and receive information concerning an item; and

(b) processing the received information, via the processor, and tracking placement of the item for a duration of an item operational life, wherein the tracking of item placement includes;

(b.1) tracking item locations and times of placement and removal of the item from those locations.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the item includes at least one of medical devices, parts, and accessories.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein step (b) further includes:

(b.2) linking the item with another item being tracked; and

(b.3) retrieving and providing information for the linked item based on the linking.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein step (b) further includes:

(b.2) determining a placement history based on the tracked item placement; and

(b.3) exporting the placement history to a file.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein step (a) further includes:

(a.1) receiving the item location from a mobile device including a GPS capability.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the item includes a GPS module to determine item location, and step (a) further includes:

(a.1) receiving the item location from the GPS module.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein step (b) further includes:

(b.2) maintaining one or more agreements associated with the item, wherein the agreements include one or more of an equipment agreement, a rental agreement, a warranty agreement, and a service agreement.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein step (b) further includes:

(b.2) tracking a returned item placed into stock.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein step (b) further includes:

(b.3) tracking a replacement item that replaces the returned item.

22. The method of claim 13, further including:

(c) creating and maintaining a complaint including incident information for the item.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein step (c) further includes:

(c.1) maintaining one or more of documents and a replacement item associated with the complaint.

24. The method of claim 13, further including:

(c) interacting with an external system to provide information pertaining to the item.

25. A device for tracking items comprising:

a computer useable medium having computer readable program code recorded thereon, the computer readable program code comprising computer readable program code configured to;

provide a user interface to interact with a user and receive information concerning an item; and

process the received information to track placement of the item for a duration of an item operational life, wherein the tracking of item placement includes tracking of item locations and times of placement and removal of the item from those locations.

26. The device of claim 25, wherein the item includes at least one of medical devices, parts, and accessories.

27. The device of claim 25, wherein the computer readable program code further comprises computer readable program code configured to:

link the item with another item being tracked; and

retrieve and provide information for the linked item based on the linking.

28. The device of claim 25, wherein the computer readable program code further comprises computer readable program code configured to:

determine a placement history based on the tracked item placement; and

export the placement history to a file.

29. The device of claim 25, wherein the computer readable program code further comprises computer readable program code configured to:

receive the item location from a mobile device including a GPS capability.

30. The device of claim 25, wherein the item includes a GPS module and the computer readable program code further comprises computer readable program code configured to:

receive the item location from the GPS module.

31. The device of claim 25, wherein the computer readable program code further comprises computer readable program code configured to:

maintain one or more agreements associated with the item, wherein the agreements include one or more of an equipment agreement, a rental agreement, a warranty agreement, and a service agreement.

32. The device of claim 25, wherein the computer readable program code further comprises computer readable program code configured to:

track a returned item placed into stock.

33. The device of claim 32, wherein the computer readable program code further comprises computer readable program code configured to:

track a replacement item that replaces the returned item.

34. The device of claim 25, wherein the computer readable program code further comprises computer readable program code configured to:

create and maintain a complaint including incident information for the item.

35. The device of claim 34, wherein the computer readable program code further comprises computer readable program code configured to:

maintain one or more of documents and a replacement item associated with the complaint.

36. The device of claim 25, wherein the computer readable program code further comprises computer readable program code configured to:

interact with an external system to provide information pertaining to the item.