Medication tracking system

• US 6,980,111 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2002
• Issued: 12/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Nolte, Myles Dean
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US10/211,187
• Publication Number:
  US 20030048187A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,243 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/573.1, 340/545.6, 340/686.4, 340/5.92, 340/568.1, 340/572.8, 340/572.9, 705/28, 235/385
• US Class Current: 340/572.8
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/1462 Containers with provisions for hanging, e.g. integral adaptations of the container accessories for hanging the container A61M5/1414
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/10 Bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/60 using magnetic or electronic identifications, e.g. chips, RFID, electronic tags
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3546 Range
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1415 Stands, brackets or the like for supporting infusion accessories
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/10 Transponders
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/17 delivered via infusion or injection
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

An apparatus and method for determining the location of a medication container, such as an intravenous bag.

Claims

1. An apparatus for tracking medications contained within an intravenous bag, said apparatus comprising:

a transmitter;

an activation device operably coupled to said transmitter; and

said activation device being configured to deactivate said transmitter when said activation device is secured through a hanging hole formed in an intravenous bag, and said activation device being further configured to activate said transmitter when said activation device is secured to a solid web tab in the intravenous bag.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a hanging hole securing device configured to secure said transmitter through the hanging hole in the intravenous bag; and

a web tab securing device configured to secure said transmitter to the solid web tab of the intravenous bag, said solid web tab securing device being configured to activate said transmitter when said activation device is secured to the solid web tab.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said activation device includes a switch, said switch including a crown defining said hanging hole securing device.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said web tab securing device includes a fastener having a clamp portion configured to clamp the solid web tab of the intravenous bag and simultaneously cause said switch to activate said transmitter.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said transmitter comprises at least one of an infrared transmitter and a radio frequency transmitter.

6. An apparatus for tracking medications, said apparatus comprising:

a housing including front and rear walls and a housing aperture extending within said rear wall, said housing further including interior and exterior surfaces;

a fastener connected to said exterior surface of said housing, said fastener including a fastener aperture;

a switch including a base supported by said housing and a crown extendable into both said housing aperture and said fastener aperture, said switch being operable between at least a first position and a second position; and

a transmitter operably coupled to said switch;

wherein placement of said switch in said first position causes said transmitter to deactivate and placement of said switch in said second position causes said transmitter to activate.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said switch is in said first position when said crown extends into both said housing aperture and said fastener aperture and said switch is said second position when said crown does not extend into said fastener aperture.

8. An intravenous bag locating apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a transmitter supported by said housing;

an activation device supported by the housing and configured to selectively activate said transmitter; and

a fastener supported by said housing and configured to cooperate with said activation device wherein said fastener causes said activation device to selectively activate said transmitter depending upon the relative position of said fastener on an intravenous bag.

9. The intravenous bag locating apparatus of claim 8, wherein said fastener causes said activation device to deactivate said transmitter when said fastener cooperates with said activation device to secure said housing through a hanging hole of the intravenous bag.

10. The intravenous bag locating apparatus of claim 9, wherein said fastener causes said activation device to activate said transmitter when said fastener secures said housing to a solid web tab of the intravenous bag.

11. The intravenous bag locating apparatus of claim 10, wherein said fastener includes a fastener aperture and said activation device includes a switch having a crown configured to be received within said fastener aperture, said crown of said switch being operable between at least a first position and a second position, said first position causing said transmitter to deactivate and said second position causing said transmitter to activate.

12. The intravenous bag locating apparatus of claim 11, wherein in said first position said crown of said switch passes through the hanging hole of the intravenous bag, and in said second position said crown of said switch engages the solid web tab of the intravenous bag.

13. The intravenous bag locating apparatus of claim 8, wherein said transmitter comprises at least one of an infrared transmitter and a radio frequency transmitter.

14. An apparatus for tracking medications, said apparatus comprising:

a container housing;

a lid movably supported by said container housing;

a transmitter coupled to one of said container housing and said lid, said transmitter being configured to activate in response to movement of one of said container housing and said lid relative to the other of said lid and said container housing; and

an associating device in communication with said transmitter and configured to associate at least one of said container housing and said lid with a target destination.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a switch operably coupled to said transmitter and configured to activate said transmitter automatically in response to movement of said lid relative to said container housing.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said switch comprises a photosensor configured to be activated by ambient light.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said transmitter comprises at least one of an infrared transmitter and a radio frequency transmitter.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a verification device configured to verify that said target destination equals an actual destination of said medication container.

19. A method for tracking medications, said method comprising the steps of:

placing medications within a receptacle, a tracking device being coupled to said receptacle;

associating said tracking device with a target destination;

delivering said medications to an actual destination;

moving the tracking device from a first location to a second location on the receptacle;

activating automatically said tracking device in response to the step of moving the tracking device; and

verifying that said actual destination equals said target destination.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of logging transactional data regarding said actual destination of said medications.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of receiving a confirmation regarding said actual destination of said medications.

28. The method of claim 19, wherein said receptacle comprises one of an intravenous bag and a container housing.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising the step of moving said tracking device from a hanging hole of said intravenous bag to a solid web tab of said intravenous bag.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein said receptacle further comprises a lid supported by said container housing, and further comprising the step of moving said lid relative to said container housing.

22. A method for tracking medications, said method comprising the steps of:

providing medications at an initial location;

tagging said medications;

activating a tracking device coupled to said tagged medications;

associating said tracking device with a target destination;

tracking said tagged medications substantially continuously from said initial location to an actual destination; and

verifying that said actual destination equals said target destination.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of logging transactional data regarding said actual destination of said medications.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of receiving a confirmation regarding said actual destination of said medications.

31. The method of claim 22, wherein said step of tagging said medications comprises placing said medications within a receptacle.

25. A system for tracking medications in a hospital, the system comprising:

a controller;

a receptacle configured to receive medications;

a tracking device coupled to said receptacle and configured to communicate with said controller when the receptacle is moved to a destination;

a switch operably coupled to said tracking device and configured to activate said tracking device automatically in response to movement of said tracking device relative to at least a portion of said receptacle; and

means for associating said tracking device with a destination, and verifying said destination.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by said controller, further cause said controller to log transactional data regarding at least one of said association and said verification.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein said means for associating includes a computer network.

32. The system of claim 25, wherein said receptacle comprises one of an intravenous bag and a container housing.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein said switch is configured to activate said tracking device when said tracking device moves from a hanging hole of said intravenous bag to a solid web tab of said intravenous bag.

34. The system of claim 32, wherein said receptacle further comprises a lid supported by said container housing, and said switch is configured to activate said tracking device when said lid moves relative to said container housing.