System and method for tracking surgical assets

• US 7,518,502 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2007
• Issued: 04/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smith & Nephew Incorporated (Smith & Nephew PLC)
• Original Assignee: Smith & Nephew Incorporated (Smith & Nephew PLC)
• Inventors: Granville, Nicholas W., Troutman, Randall, Morgan, Robert L., Hulen, Mark E., Donati, Ralph W. Jr., Janna, Sied W., Austin, Gene Edward, Wilson, Darren J., Rains, James K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAU, HOI CHING
• Application Number:
  US11/753,406
• Publication Number:
  US 20080030345A1
• Time in Patent Office: 691 Days
• Field of Search: 3405727-5729, 340/539.1, 340/539.27, 340/539.12, 340/539.13, 340/573.1, 340/585, 340/588, 235/385, 700/299
• US Class Current: 340/539.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/90 Identification means for patients or instruments, e.g. tags
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/98 using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

A system and method for identifying, locating, and managing inventory of sterilized medical devices located within a sealed sterilization case in preparation for a surgical procedure. Communication tags, such as radio frequency identification (RFID) and/or Global Positioning System (GPS) tags, are connected to the medical device and communicate information wirelessly. Information is obtained from the communication tags and sent to the database where it is compared with the information in the database. The results may be displayed on the interface thereby providing the user with information about the medical instruments contained in the sealed sterilization case without breaking the seal of the sealed sterilization case.

Claims

1. A system for tracking a surgical asset, the system comprising:

a. a tag operatively connected to the surgical asset, the tag being configured to provide localized location information to a transceiver when the surgical asset is located in a first area associated with the transceiver, the first area corresponding to an interior of a building;

b. a readiness module operatively connected to the surgical asset, the readiness module being configured to determine readiness information associated with the surgical asset and provide the readiness information to the transceiver;

the readiness information comprising an indication of whether the surgical asset comprises a set of components needed for a selected medical procedure;

c. the transceiver configured to provide the localized location information and the readiness information to an application server;

d. a global positioning satellite reader operatively connected to the surgical asset, the global positioning satellite reader adapted to;

determine localized location information for the surgical asset based on location data received from at least one satellite when the surgical asset is located in a second area associated with the at least one satellite; and

provide the localized location information to the application server; and

e. the application server configured to;

determine a location of the surgical asset using at least one of a triangulation algorithm on the localized location information received from the transceiver or using the localized location information received from the global positioning satellite reader; and

determine a readiness of the surgical asset using the readiness information.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the surgical asset is a sealed sterilization case adapted to allow radio frequency signals to pass through at least one side of the case, the system further comprising:

a. at least one radio frequency identification tag;

b. at least one medical instrument contained in the sealed sterilization case and attached to the radio frequency identification tag; and

c. a reader adapted to obtain information, via radio frequency, from said radio frequency identification tag.

3. The system according to claim 2, further comprising at least one surface that has at least one opening adapted in size or shape to allow radio frequency signals to enter and leave the case.

4. The system according to claim 2, composed of a material that is configured to allow radio frequency signals to enter and leave the case.

5. The system according to claim 2, wherein the radio frequency identification tag associated with the at least one medical instrument is embedded inside the at least one medical instrument.

6. The system according to claim 2, wherein the radio frequency identification tag associated with the at least one medical instrument is attached on the outside surface of the at least one medical instrument.

7. The system according to claim 2, wherein each of the radio frequency identification tags is a passive device.

8. The system according to claim 2, wherein each of the radio frequency identification tags is an active device.

9. The system according to claim 2, wherein the reader is electrically connected to a microprocessor.

10. The system according to claim 2, wherein the reader is in wireless communication with a microprocessor.

11. The system according to claim 2, wherein the information includes at least one of the following:

a. the identification of the at least one medical instrument to which the radio frequency identification tag is associated with;

b. the surgical technique associated with the at least one medical instrument to which the radio frequency identification tag is associated with; and

c. the manufacturing history of the at least one medical instrument to which the radio frequency identification tag is associated with.

12. The system according to claim 2, further comprising a case radio frequency identification tag attached or associated with the outside of the sterilization case.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the case radio frequency identification tag obtains information, via radio frequency, from the radio frequency tags associated with the medical instruments and communicates the information via radio frequency to the reader.

14. The system of claim 2, wherein the reader is the transceiver.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the application server is configured to send a request for localized location information to at least one of the transceiver or the global positioning satellite reader.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the surgical asset is selected from the group consisting of a sterilization case, a medical instrument tray, a medical instrument, and a medical implant.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is configured to utilize radio frequency transmission.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the transceiver is configured to communicate with the application server through a wireless telephone network or a wireless pager network.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of components needed for the selected medical procedure comprises at least one of:

a medical instrument;

a medical implant;

or a medical device.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the tag is associated with a real-time location system.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the readiness information further comprises information representing whether at least one of the components of the set has been sterilized.

22. A method of tracking a surgical asset, comprising:

a. sending a request for location information via wireless transmission;

b. receiving GPS localized location information from a global positioning satellite reader operatively connected to the surgical asset within a first area in which the surgical asset is being transported;

c. determining a transport location of the surgical asset using the GPS localized location information, the transport location being within the first area;

d. receiving node localized location information from a transceiver associated with a second area of a node, the localized location information corresponding to a tag associated with the surgical asset within the second area, the node being associated with a building;

e. determining a node location of the surgical asset using a triangulation algorithm and the node localized location information, the node location being within the second area of the node;

f. receiving readiness information for the surgical asset within the second area from the transceiver;

the readiness information comprising an indication of whether the surgical asset comprises a set of components needed for a selected medical procedure;

g. determining the readiness of the surgical asset using the readiness information; and

h. outputting the node location of the surgical asset and an indicator corresponding to the readiness of the surgical asset.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein sending the request for localized location information via wireless transmission comprises sending the request periodically.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein determining the first location of the surgical asset using the GPS localized location information comprises:

periodically receiving GPS localized location information during transport of the surgical asset; and

periodically determining the transport location of the surgical asset during transport of the surgical asset.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein receiving node localized location information from the transceiver associated with a second area of a node comprises receiving node localized location information over a wireless telephone network or a wireless pager network.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein the set of components needed for the selected medical procedure comprises at least one of:

a medical instrument;

a medical implant;

or a medical device.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the surgical procedure is scheduled to occur in the building, wherein the building is a hospital.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein the surgical asset comprises a plurality of surgical assets, the method further comprising:

transmitting a request for location information for each of the plurality of surgical assets; and

determining a location for each of the plurality of surgical assets using at least one of GPS localized location information or node localized location information.

29. The system of claim 22, wherein the readiness information further comprises a date of a most recent sterilization procedure for at least one of the components of the set.