Surgical instrument accounting apparatus and method
First Claim
1. An apparatus for accounting for standard surgical used during surgery, such as clamps, hemostats and the like, dispensed into and removed for storage out of an operating environment to avoid leaving surgical instruments in said operating environment, said apparatus comprising:
- a means for dispensing surgical instruments into said operating environment, said dispensing means having a first signalling means for signalling a dispensing of one of said surgical instruments;
a means for storing surgical instruments withdrawn from said operating environment, said storing means having a second signalling means for signalling a storing of one of said surgical instruments; and
a computer means connected to said dispensing and said storing means for receiving said signaled dispensing and said signaled storing of said surgical instruments, for computing a first number anD a second number of said surgical instruments dispensed into and received for storing out of said operating environment, respectively, and for subtracting said second number from said first number to determine a third number of said surgical instruments that have been dispensed by said dispensing means into said surgical environment but are not being stored by said storing means out of said surgical environment.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for accounting for surgical instruments dispensed into and withdrawn from the surgical operating environment to avoid leaving instruments in the environment comprises a plurality of instrument bearing compartments mounted on a base, a stand for storing surgical instruments after use, and a digital computer programmed to receive signals both from the compartments as a sterile instrument is dispensed and from the stand when a used instrument is stored thereon, convert the signals to numbers of instruments dispensed and stored, subtract the latter number from the former and display the difference. A non-zero different means an instrument remains in the operating environment and must be visually accounted for by operating room staff. The signal from the compartments is preferably generated an interruption of beam of light carried by fiber optic filaments when an instrument is dispensed from a compartment. The signal from the stand is a pattern of transmitted light and dark areas created by instruments stored on the stand carried by an array of fiber optic filaments or digitized video imaging carried by a transmission yoke to the digital computer for digital image decoding.
165 Citations
24 Claims
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1. An apparatus for accounting for standard surgical used during surgery, such as clamps, hemostats and the like, dispensed into and removed for storage out of an operating environment to avoid leaving surgical instruments in said operating environment, said apparatus comprising:
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a means for dispensing surgical instruments into said operating environment, said dispensing means having a first signalling means for signalling a dispensing of one of said surgical instruments; a means for storing surgical instruments withdrawn from said operating environment, said storing means having a second signalling means for signalling a storing of one of said surgical instruments; and a computer means connected to said dispensing and said storing means for receiving said signaled dispensing and said signaled storing of said surgical instruments, for computing a first number anD a second number of said surgical instruments dispensed into and received for storing out of said operating environment, respectively, and for subtracting said second number from said first number to determine a third number of said surgical instruments that have been dispensed by said dispensing means into said surgical environment but are not being stored by said storing means out of said surgical environment. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An apparatus for accounting for standard surgical instruments used during surgery, such as clamps, hemostats and the like, introduced into and removed from an operating environment to avoid leaving surgical instruments in said operating environment, said apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of compartments for dispensing said surgical instruments; a base for seating and displaying said compartments thereon; a first signalling means for signalling a dispensing of a first number of said surgical instruments, said signalling connected to said compartments; a stand having a surface for storing said surgical instruments, said stand having a second signalling means for signalling a second number of surgical instruments stored on said surface of said stand; and a computer means connected to said first signalling means and said second signalling means for determining said first and said second numbers of said surgical instruments, subtracting said second number from said first number to determine a difference between said numbers and displaying said difference. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method for accounting for surgical instruments used in an operating environment during an operation to avoid leaving said surgical instruments in said operating environment wherein the method comprises the steps of:
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counting by a first digital means a number of said surgical instruments dispensed into said operating environment from a dispensing source of sterile instruments; counting by a second digital means a second number of said surgical instruments received by a storing means located out of said operating environment; subtracting said second number from said first number to obtain a difference; and displaying said difference continually throughout said operation.
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24. A method for accounting for surgical instruments used in an operating environment during an operation to avoid leaving said surgical instruments in said operating environment wherein the method comprises the steps of:
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dispensing said surgical instruments from a dispenser; generating a dispensed instrument signal each time a surgical instrument is dispensed from said dispenser; storing said surgical instruments after removal from said operating environment and generating stored instrument signals corresponding to each of said stored surgical instruments; transmitting said dispensed instrument signals and stored instrument signals to a computer means; processing said dispensed instrument signals and stored instrument signals in said computer means to determine whether or not the number of dispensed instruments is equal to the number of stored instruments; and generating a differential signal representing the difference between the number of instruments dispensed and the number of instruments stored and displaying an indication of said differential signal.
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Specification