Process for controlling the misuse of disposable medical products

• US 6,454,162 B1
• Filed: 01/25/2001
• Issued: 09/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beverage Metrics Holding Limited
• Original Assignee: David Teller
• Inventors: Teller, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Pitts, Harold I.
• Application Number:
  US09/768,599
• Publication Number:
  US 20020096180A1
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/385
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0803 Counting the number of times an instrument is used
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0813 Accessories designed for easy sterilising, i.e. re-usable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/00 Instruments, implements or accessories specially adapted for surgery or diagnosis and not covered by any of the groups A61B1/00 - A61B50/00, e.g. for luxation treatment or for protecting wound edges protective face masks A41D13/11; surgeon's or patient's gowns or dresses A41D13/12; devices for carrying-off, for treatment of, or for carrying-over, body liquids A61M1/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/98 using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders

Abstract

A process for controlling the miss use of disposable medical products with the steps of: a unique ID code secured to a disposable medical accessory product, a control circuit built into a main, non disposable medical unit that can sense the introduction and time of use of the disposable medical accessory product, an ID reader built into the main, non disposable medical unit that does not allow the main medical unit to be turned on if it senses that the disposable medical accessory has already been used before, the ID reader only allowing the main medical unit to be turned on when it senses that the the ID tag on the disposable medical accessory has never been read before, the ID reader to be programmed to accept only particular numbers, known only to the manufacturer, thereby protecting against competitors who do not know the numbers, and An alternate embodiment that also can time the length of cleaning of a medical accessory that is meant to be re used but needs to first be cleaned or sterilized for a predetermined amount of time.

Claims

1. A process for controlling the miss use of disposable medical products comprising the steps of:

a unique ID code secured to a disposable medical accessory product;

a control circuit built into a main, non disposable medical unit that can sense the introduction and time of use of said disposable medical accessory product;

an ID reader built into said main, non disposable medical unit that does not allow said main medical unit to be turned on if it senses that said disposable medical accessory has already been used before;

Said ID reader only allowing said main medical unit to be turned on when it senses that the said ID tag on said disposable medical accessory has never been read before;

Said ID reader to be programmed to accept only particular numbers, known only to the manufacturer, thereby protecting against competitors who do not know the numbers.

2. A process for controlling the miss use of disposable medical products as claimed in claim 1 wherein an alternate embodiment can time the length of cleaning of a medical accessory that is meant to be re used but needs to first be cleaned or sterilized for a predetermined amount of time.