Tissue and implant product supply system and method

• US 6,786,405 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2002
• Issued: 09/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Curt Wiedenhoefer
• Original Assignee: Curt Wiedenhoefer
• Inventors: Wiedenhoefer, Curt
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim, Ahshik
• Application Number:
  US10/084,483
• Publication Number:
  US 20030160101A1
• Time in Patent Office: 922 Days
• Field of Search: 235/385, 235/462.46, 235/472.01, 235/472.02, 235/375, 235/380, 235/462.45, 705/2, 705/3, 705/28
• US Class Current: 235/385
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/60 for the operation of medical equipment or devices
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/00 ICT specially adapted for the handling or processing of medical references

Abstract

An electronic hand held wireless device and system are provided to implement various inventorying and/or ordering of implant and/or tissue products from remote sites. The invention also provides a method whereby the hand held device, when in communication with a data base remote from said wireless device, permits real time inventory of available products to be ascertained and real time wireless remote ordering of such products can be effected. Other information, such as product specification, storage requirements and surgical techniques can also be accessed by the hand held device.

Claims

1. A method of inventorying a required implant or tissue product from a source of such products, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a wireless mobile hand held electronic device;

providing a data base for the inventory of implant or tissue products;

synchronizing the hand held electronic device with said data base to determine the inventory of implant or tissue products; and

receiving an image selected from the group consisting of x-ray containing a measurement marker on the x-ray and a CT/MRI scan with a reference scale on the mobile hand held device.

2. The method of claim 1, including the step of using the measurement marker on the x-ray or scale on a CT/MRI scan to determine at least one of (1) a size of the implant, tissue product or any segment or (2) an angle on the image.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of using the measurement is effected by employing software to enable the hand held electronic device to relate the measurement marker or reference scale, to the tissue product, implant or any object in the image.

4. A hand held electronic device for use in inventorying or ordering an implant or tissue product, said device comprising:

a display screen;

a wireless communication transceiver;

software to synchronize the hand held electronic device to a data base of an inventory of implant and tissue product products; and

measuring means to determine the size and/or angle of an implant or tissue product from an x-ray or CT/MRI scan.