SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TRACKING AND MONITORING SURGICAL TOOLS

• US 20160212577A1
• Filed: 01/19/2015
• Published: 07/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steris Corporation
• Original Assignee: Haldor Advanced Technologies Ltd
• Inventors: Kadosh-Tamari, Ilan, DOR, Guy, Zeeli, Dan
• Granted Patent: US 10,187,742 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0805 automatically, e.g. by means of magnetic, optical or photoelectric detectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/98 using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2379 Updates performed during online database operations; commit processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24553 of query operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A system for monitoring and tracking location of a tag paired to a tool is disclosed, the system comprising a communication unit to receive flag event data, the flag event data relating to a detected event, the flag event data including at least tag identification data, location data of the tag, detected event type, and time of occurrence of the detected event. The system comprises a storage unit to store data records of tags, the data records comprising a current tag location and data relating to the tool which is paired to the tag, and to store a set of instructions defined for handling flag event data. The system comprises a processing unit to receive flag event data, and to transmit a notification of the flag event data to other connected devices according to the stored set of instructions for handling the flag event data. The processing unit may be configured to identify a monitoring station located at a current location of the tool paired to the tag, and to transmit a notification related to the flag event data to the identified monitoring station.

Claims

1. A computerized system to track and monitor a tag paired to a tool comprising:

a signal receiving unit to obtain a location of a tag;

a central server comprising

a tag database configured to store a data record of the tag, wherein the data record comprises information about the tag, and

a tag processing unit configured to update the data record stored in the tag database;

a monitoring station to obtain a flag event related to the tag, wherein the flag event includes an indication that the tool paired to the tag was present in a location of a detected event, and to transmit the flag event to the central server.

2. The computerized system of claim 1, further comprising a communication unit to transmit the flag event to a current location where the tag is located.

3. The computerized system of claim 1, wherein the flag event comprises tag identification data.

4. The computerized system of claim 1, wherein the tag is paired to a tool set.

5. A method of tracking and monitoring a tag paired to a tool, comprising:

receiving a signal including location data related to the tag, wherein the signal comprises tag identification data;

storing the received location data in a tag database as part of a data record relating to the tag, based on the tag identification data;

receiving a flag event for the tag, wherein the flag event comprises tag identification data, the flag event including an indication that the tool paired to the tag was present in a location of a detected event that triggered the flag event;

transmitting the flag event to a current location of the tag which is retrieved from the stored data record.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

updating the tag data record stored in the tag database with the event flag data.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining one or more tags associated with the received tag identity data, wherein associated tags include tags which participated in the detected event;

transmitting the event flag data or portions thereof to a current location of the one or more associated tags, based on the current locations of the associated tags stored in the tag database.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising updating other tag data records with the flag event data in the tag database.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving a flag removal event to remove a flag event from the tag data record, wherein the flag removal event comprises tag identification data;

updating the tag data record stored in the tag database according to the flag removal event;

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the signal is received from an antenna that obtains RFID signal of tags paired to at least one tool.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein the flag event is received from a computerized monitoring station.

12. A computerized system, comprising:

an antenna for obtaining a location of a tag, wherein the tag is an RFID enabled transponder paired to at least one tool, wherein the antenna receives a signal transmitted from the tag, the signal comprising tag identity data;

a monitoring station for obtaining flag event data related to the tag, the flag event data comprising an indication that the tag was present in a location of a detected event;

a server to store a location of the tag in a tag database, said tag database to store a data record of the tag, wherein the record data comprises information related to the tag;

wherein the server comprises a processor, the processor configured to determine a current and/or past location of the tag according to the data record of the tag.

13. The computerized system of claim 12, wherein the tag is paired to a tool.

14. The computerized system of claim 12, wherein the tag is paired to a set of tools.

15. The computerized system of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to determine a current location of a staff member who participated in a detected event.

16. The computerized system of claim 12, wherein the server is configured to determine tags which are associated with the flag event.

17. The computerized system of claim 12, wherein the server is configured to send a notification to a monitoring station where tags which are associated with the flag event are currently located.

18. A system for monitoring and tracking location of a tag paired to a tool, comprising:

a communication unit to receive flag event data, the flag event data relating to a detected event, the flag event data including at least tag identification data, location data of the tag, detected event type, and time of occurrence of the detected event;

a storage unit to store data records of tags, the data records including a current tag location and data relating to the tool which is paired to the tag, and to store a set of instructions defined for handling flag event data;

a processing unit to receive flag event data, and to transmit a notification of the flag event data to other connected devices according to the stored set of instructions for handling the flag event data.

19. The system according to claim 18 wherein the processing unit identifies a monitoring station located at a current location of the tool paired to the tag, and transmits a notification related to the flag event data to the identified monitoring station.