Disposable transducer systems

• US 4,611,601 A
• Filed: 02/17/1984
• Issued: 09/16/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Transamerica Delaval. Inc. (Enovis Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Transamerica Delaval. Inc. (Enovis Corp.)
• Inventors: Bowman, Ronald
• Primary Examiner(s): Howell, Kyle L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sykes, Angela D.
• Application Number:
  US06/581,481
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 128/672-673, 128/675, 128/748, 128/6, 339/18 R, 339/18 C, 339/19
• US Class Current: 600/486
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0215 by means inserted into the body catheters A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/24 Apparatus using programmed or automatic operation

Abstract

Methods and systems for operating a disposable transducer or other disposable apparatus, which may be subject to sterilization inimical to that disposable apparatus, determine parameters required for operation of the disposable apparatus and provide a record of that determined parameters on the disposable apparatus. These parameters are subsequently derived by machine-reading the record on the disposable apparatus in order to operate that disposable apparatus. The mentioned record may be made destructible by resterilization and the machine-reading and the operation of the disposable apparatus may be rendered impossible upon resterilization of that apparatus by destroying the mentioned record by said resterilization.

Claims

1. In a method of operating a disposable apparatus subject to resterilization inimical to said disposable apparatus,

the improvement comprising in combination the steps of:

determining parameters required for operation of said apparatus;

providing a record of said determined parameters on said apparatus;

deriving said parameters by machine-reading said record in order to operate said apparatus;

said record being made destructible by resterilization; and

said machine-reading and the operation of said disposable apparatus being rendered impossible upon resterilization of said apparatus by destroying said record by said resterilization.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, including the steps of:

providing said record in the form of a code combination on said apparatus;

machine-reading said code combination; and

effecting parameter adjustments for said apparatus in response to said machine-read combination.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, including the steps of:

subjecting said disposable apparatus to a physical influence affecting an output of said apparatus;

determining said parameters from said output;

providing a code combination indicative of said determined parameters; and

providing said record by recording said code combination on said disposable apparatus.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, including the step of:

providing for initial sterilization of said disposable apparatus without impairment of said record made destructible by resterilization.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, including the steps of:

providing said record with a cover protecting said record against sterilization; and

removing said cover prior to first use of said apparatus.

6. In a method of operating a disposable apparatus including a transducing part, the improvement comprising in combination the steps of:

determining parameters required for operation of said transducing part of the apparatus;

providing a record of said determined parameters on said apparatus;

rendering said record destructible by resterilization;

machine-reading said parameters from said record;

operating said transducing part of the apparatus with the aid of said machine-read parameters; and

rendering said machine reading and the operation of said disposable apparatus impossible upon resterilization of said apparatus by destroying said record by said resterilization.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, including the steps of:

providing said record in the form of a code combination on said apparatus;

machine-reading said code combination; and

effecting parameter adjustments for said apparatus in response to said machine-read code combination.

8. A method as claimed in claim 6, including the steps of:

subjecting said disposable apparatus to a physical influence affecting an output of said apparatus;

determining said parameters from said output;

providing a code combination indicative of said determined parameters; and

providing said record by recording said code combination on said disposable apparatus.

9. In a system for operating a disposable apparatus having parameters required for operation of said apparatus and being subject to resterilization inimical to said disposable apparatus,

the improvement comprising in combination:

a record of said parameters on said apparatus; and

means for machine reading said parameters from said record on said apparatus;

said record being destructible by sterilization, whereby said machine reading and the operation of said disposable apparatus are rendered impossible upon sterilization of said apparatus.

10. A system as claimed in claim 9, wherein:

said record comprises a code combination on said apparatus representing said parameters and being destructible by resterilization;

said machine-reading means include means for machine-reading said code combination; and

said system includes means connected to the latter machine-reading means for effecting parameter adjustments for said apparatus in response to said machine-read code combination.

11. A system as claimed in claim 9, including:

means for subjecting said disposable apparatus to a physical influence affecting an output of said apparatus;

means receiving said output for determining said parameters from said output;

means connected to said determining means for providing a code combination indicative of said determined parameters; and

means connected to said code combination providing means for recording said code combination in a manner destructible by resterilization on said disposable apparatus as said record.

12. A system as claimed in claim 9, including:

means for protecting said record against initial sterilization before first use of said apparatus.

13. A system as claimed in claim 9, including:

a cover means removably located on said record for protecting said record against initial sterilization before first use of said apparatus.

14. In a system for operating a disposable apparatus including a transducing part having parameters required for operation of said transducing part of the apparatus,

the improvement comprising in combination:

a record of said parameters on said apparatus;

means for machine-reading said parameters from said record; and

means connected to said machine-reading means for operating said transducing part of the apparatus with the aid of said machine-read parameters;

wherein

said record is destructible by resterilization, whereby said machine reading and the operation of said disposable apparatus are rendered impossible upon resterilization of said apparatus.

15. A system as claimed in claim 14, wherein:

said record comprises a code combination on said apparatus representing said parameters;

said machine-reading means include means for machine-reading said code combination; and

said system includes means connected to the latter machine-reading means for effecting parameter adjustments for said transducing part of the apparatus in response to said machine-read code combination.

16. A system as claimed in claim 14, including:

means for subjecting said disposable apparatus to a physical influence affecting an output of said apparatus;

means for receiving said output for determining said parameters from said output;

means connected to said determining means for providing a code combination indicative of said determined parameters; and

means connected to said code combination providing means for recording said code combination on said disposable apparatus as said record.

17. A disposable apparatus including a transducing part having parameters required for operation of said transducing part of the apparatus, comprising:

a machine-readable record of said parameters required for operation of said transducing part on said apparatus;

said record being destructible by resterilization thereby rendering a machine-reading and operation of said disposable apparatus impossible upon resterilization of said apparatus.

18. A disposable apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein:

said record comprises a code combination on said apparatus representing said parameters, said code combination comprised in said record being machine-readable.

19. A disposable apparatus having parameters required for operation of said apparatus, comprising:

a machine-readable record of said parameters on said apparatus;

said record being destructible by resterilization; and

means for protecting said record against initial sterilization before first use of said apparatus.

20. A disposable apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein:

said record protecting means include a sterlization-impervious cover removably located on said record.

21. In a system for operating a disposable apparatus including a transducing part having parameters required for operation of said apparatus, the improvement comprising in combination:

means for subjecting said disposable apparatus to a physical influence affecting an output of said transducing part of the apparatus;

means for receiving said output for determining said parameters from said output;

means connected to said determining means for providing a code combination indicative of said determined parameters; and

means connected to said code combination providing means for providing a record of said code combination on said disposable apparatus;

said record being destructible by sterilization, whereby said machine reading and the operation of said disposable apparatus are rendered impossible upon sterilization of said apparatus.

22. In a system for operating a disposable apparatus including a transducing part having parameters required for operation of said apparatus, the improvement comprising in combination:

means for machine-reading said parameters from a record thereof on said apparatus; and

means connected to said machine-reading means for effecting parameter adjustments for said transducing part of the disposable apparatus in response to said machine-read record;

said record being destructible by sterilization, whereby said machine reading and the operation of said disposable apparatus are rendered impossible upon sterilization of said apparatus.

23. In a system for operating a disposable apparatus having parameters required for operation of said apparatus, the improvement comprising in combination:

means for machine-reading said parameters from a record thereof on said apparatus including a cable including optical fibers forming part of said means for machine-reading said parameters from said record on the apparatus and including electrical wires as part of said means for effecting parameter adjustments for said disposable apparatus; and

means connected to said machine-reading means for effecting parameter adjustments for said disposable apparatus in response to said machine-read record.