System for tracking secure medical test cards
First Claim
1. A method for tracking with a central monitoring system status and result information associated with a plurality of test cards, each of said test cards being anonymously associated with a patient such that said patient'"'"'s identity is unknown to said central monitoring system, said central monitoring system being formed of a personal identification number database and a test results database, comprising the steps of:
- (A) storing a first set of unique personal identification numbers (PINs) on said personal identification number database;
(B) providing a first digital signal representative of PINs from said first set of unique PINs to a test kit assembler;
(C) receiving in said central monitoring system a second digital signal from said test kit assembler representative of test kits actually assembled, each of said test kits actually assembled including a test card having one of said unique PINs from said first set of unique PINs associated therewith, and tracking said first set of unique PINs by updating said personal identification number database in response to said second digital signal;
(D) providing, from said central monitoring system, a third digital signal representative of a second set of unique PINs to a test lab in response to said second digital signal; and
(E) receiving in said central monitoring system a fourth digital signal from said test lab representative of test cards received at said test lab from patients, and tracking said first set of unique PINs by updating said personal identification number database and said test results database in response to said fourth digital signal;
wherein each of said test cards received at said test lab is known to said central monitoring system only by one of said unique PINs from said first set of unique PINs, and wherein an identity of a patient associated with each of said test cards received at said test lab is anonymous to said central monitoring system.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus are provided for tracking information associated with a plurality of test cards. Each of the test cards is anonymously associated with a patient such that the patient'"'"'s identity is unknown to a central monitoring system. A first set of unique personal identification numbers (PINs) is stored in a PIN database in the central monitoring system, and a first digital signal representing PINs from the first set of unique PINs is provided to a test kit assembler. A second digital signal, representing test kits actually assembled, is received from the test kit assembler in the central monitoring system. Each of the test kits actually assembled includes a test card having one of the unique PINs from the first set of unique PINs associated therewith. The first set of unique PINs is tracked by updating the PIN database in response to the second digital signal. A third digital signal, representing a second set of unique PINs, is provided from the central monitoring system to a test lab in response to the second digital signal. A fourth digital signal, representing test cards received at the test lab from patients, is received from the test lab in the central monitoring system. The test cards are known to the central monitoring system only by the first set of unique PINs. The first set of unique PINs is further tracked from the central monitoring system by updating the PIN database and a test results database in response to the fourth digital signal.
62 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method for tracking with a central monitoring system status and result information associated with a plurality of test cards, each of said test cards being anonymously associated with a patient such that said patient'"'"'s identity is unknown to said central monitoring system, said central monitoring system being formed of a personal identification number database and a test results database, comprising the steps of:
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(A) storing a first set of unique personal identification numbers (PINs) on said personal identification number database; (B) providing a first digital signal representative of PINs from said first set of unique PINs to a test kit assembler; (C) receiving in said central monitoring system a second digital signal from said test kit assembler representative of test kits actually assembled, each of said test kits actually assembled including a test card having one of said unique PINs from said first set of unique PINs associated therewith, and tracking said first set of unique PINs by updating said personal identification number database in response to said second digital signal; (D) providing, from said central monitoring system, a third digital signal representative of a second set of unique PINs to a test lab in response to said second digital signal; and (E) receiving in said central monitoring system a fourth digital signal from said test lab representative of test cards received at said test lab from patients, and tracking said first set of unique PINs by updating said personal identification number database and said test results database in response to said fourth digital signal; wherein each of said test cards received at said test lab is known to said central monitoring system only by one of said unique PINs from said first set of unique PINs, and wherein an identity of a patient associated with each of said test cards received at said test lab is anonymous to said central monitoring system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An apparatus for tracking with a central monitoring system status and result information associated with a plurality of test cards, each of said test cards being anonymously associated with a patient such that said patient'"'"'s identity is unknown to said central monitoring system, said central monitoring system being formed of a personal identification number database and a test results database, comprising:
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(A) means for storing a first set of unique personal identification numbers (PINs) on said personal identification number database; (B) means for providing a first digital signal representative of PINS from said first set of unique PINs to a test kit assembler; (C) means for receiving in said central monitoring system a second digital signal from said test kit assembler representative of test kits actually assembled, each of said test kits actually assembled including a test card having one of said first set of unique PINs associated therewith, and means for tracking said first set of unique PINs by updating said personal identification number database in response to said second digital signal; (D) means for providing, from said central monitoring system, a third digital signal representative of a second set of unique PINs to a test lab in response to said second digital signal; and (E) means for receiving in said central monitoring system a fourth digital signal from said test lab representative of test cards received at said test lab from patients, and means for tracking said first set of unique PINs by updating said personal identification number database and said test results database in response to said fourth digital signal; wherein each of said test cards received at said test lab is known to said central monitoring system only by one of said unique PINs from said first set of unique PINs, and wherein an identity of a patient associated with each of said test cards received at said test lab is anonymous to said central monitoring system. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification