IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM

• US 3,715,570 A
• Filed: 12/02/1970
• Issued: 02/06/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sherwood Medical Company (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Jack L. Wilhelmson, Theodore E. Weichselbaum
• Inventors: Weichselbaum, Theodore E., Wilhelmson, Jack L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cook, Daryl W.
• Application Number:
  US05/094,452
• Time in Patent Office: 797 Days
• Field of Search: 235/61.12N,61.12M,61.11D,61.7R 40/21R,21A,21B,2R,2.2
• US Class Current: 235/449
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/90 Identification means for patients or instruments, e.g. tags
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5453 for test tubes
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/005 Identification bracelets, e.g. secured to the arm of a person

Abstract

An identification bracelet attached to the arm of each patient entering a hospital dispenses a plurality of magnetically coded tags having an adhesive backing for attachment to samples, prescriptions and the like to uniquely identify the source individual. Tag readers located throughout the hospital decode the magnetic tags in order to correlate an analysis with the proper patient. In the patient'"'"''"'"'s room, a portable battery operated cross-check reader compares a magnetically coded treatment tag with an identification tag from the patient'"'"''"'"'s bracelet to prevent a treatment from being given to the wrong patient.

Claims

1. An identification system for relating items with particular individuals, comprising:

magnetically coded means having a plurality of magnetic fields arranged to form a unique code for identifying a single individual;

means for dispensing as needed a plurality of said magnetically coded means to allow individual attachment of the magnetically coded means to an item to be associated with said single individual, and bracelet means for attaching said dispensing means to said single individual.

2. The identification system of claim 1 wherein said magnetically coded means includes a flexible carrier with a magnetizable layer having a plurality of magnetizable regions, the magnetic orientation of said regions being arranged to form a unique binary code.

3. The identification system of claim 2 wherein said magnetically coded means includes adhesive means on said flexible carrier for attaching the magnetically coded means to said item.

4. The identification system of claim 2 wherein said mAgnetizable regions each extend as elongated strips on said flexible carrier, each strip having a magnetic orientation indicating a binary zero or a binary one bit, the plurality of bits corresponding to the plurality of strips thereby forming said unique binary code.

5. The identification system of claim 1 wherein said magnetically coded means initially comprises magnetizable means having a layer magnetizable by fixed magnetic fields, and said dispensing means includes a plurality of permanent magnet means having corresponding fixed magnetic fields arranged to form said unique code, and guide means for guiding the magnetizable means adjacent the fixed magnetic fields of said permanent magnet means.

6. The identification system of claim 5 wherein said dispensing means includes plate means forming a portion of said guide means, said permanent magnet means comprising a plurality of individual permanent magnets embedded in said plate means, and said guide means further includes means spaced from said plate means to form a channel into which said magnetizable means is inserted to produce said magnetically coded means.

7. The identification system of claim 6 wherein said channel means includes a plurality of fingers each extending adjacent a different one of said plurality of permanent magnets embedded in said plate means, said magnetizable means comprises a flexible carrier having a ferrite coating thereon, said plurality of fingers urging said flexible carrier against said plate means when said flexible carrier is moved through said channel to create a plurality of longitudinal strips of magnetized ferrite coating which corresponds to said unique code.

8. The identification system of claim 1 wherein each magnetically coded means is precoded with an identical unique code, said dispensing means includes compartment means for temporarily storing a plurality of said precoded magnetically coded means and opening means contiguous with said compartment means for allowing individual precoded magnetically coded means to be dispensed to allow individual attachment to an item.