Responsive manufacturing and inventory control

• US 6,925,447 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2001
• Issued: 08/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Ruble, Barbara K., Fabian, Willa M., Clark, Larry G., Thompson, David L., McMenimen, James L., Campbell, Christopher J.
• Primary Examiner(s): JASMIN, LYNDA C
• Application Number:
  US09/775,281
• Publication Number:
  US 20030061123A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,643 Days
• Field of Search: 705/28, 705/22, 705/24, 607/30, 607/32, 128/903, 128/904
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37211 Means for communicating with stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37264 Changing the program; Upgrading firmware
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37282 characterised by communication with experts in remote locations using a network
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A medical device production and supply information management system synchronous with manufacturing, planning and scheduling, product consumption forecast, and component purchase to enable just-in-time inventory control at the manufacturing facility, vendor stocks, material/product tracking, distribution and shipping management to thereby reduce inventory at all points in the product manufacturing, distribution/delivery chain. The system is implemented using a preferably Web enabled information network and data communications with a programmer. The programmer provides access to product information, specification and related data for implanted medical devices from which build-to-order and build-to-replenish commands are issued to the manufacturing center. The system is interactive within the consumption management system that is integrally and seamlessly connected with patients, hospitals, sales offices and related information hubs including manufacturing facilities. The invention enables management of inventory levels of medical devices through the interactive information management system by accurately accounting for inventory stored in sales offices, distributors and sales representatives, as well as implanting institutions to ensure that all centers have appropriate and adequate stock that is replaced on just-in-time basis under the build-to-replenish scheme.

Claims

1. A medical device inventory and production control system comprising:

a Web-enabled information network in data communications with a medical device manufacturing control system and a consumption hub;

at least one programmer in a bi-directional telemetric data communication with the Web-enabled information network; and

at least one implantable medical device taken out of an inventory of the consumption hub, the medical device having a data set communicated via the medical device programmer through the Web-enabled information network to the medical device manufacturing control system which initiates a build to order process based upon the data communicated from the medical device programmer to replace the inventory of the consumption hub depleted by the at least one implantable medical device taken out of the inventory of the consumption hub.