Surgical suite radio frequency identification methods and systems

• US 7,617,137 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2006
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Propety Corporation
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kreiner, Barrett, Reeves, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Gart, Matthew S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Crawley, Talia
• Application Number:
  US11/641,135
• Publication Number:
  US 20080147529A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 Days
• Field of Search: 705/28, 340/572.1, 340/539.12, 606/1, 606/130, 600/424
• US Class Current: 705/28
• 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: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/18 Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/65 stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD
• 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 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/00 ICT specially adapted for the handling or processing of medical references
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for tracking surgical items. A sensor reads RFID tags and confirms the type of surgical procedure to be performed on a patient'"'"'s body. An allowable zone is determined in the patient'"'"'s body that corresponds to the type of surgical procedure to be performed. When movement of a surgical item is detected outside the allowable zone in the patient'"'"'s body, then an alarm is triggered to indicate the surgical item is moving towards a zone in the patient'"'"'s body in which the surgical item may not be used.

Claims

1. A system for tracking surgical items comprising:

a sensor capable of reading RFID tags associated therewith;

a computing device in communication with the sensor;

a database in communication with the computing device; and

an output device,

wherein the computing device performs the following functions based on information received from the sensor and the database;

confirming a type of surgical procedure to be performed on a patient'"'"'s body;

comparing surgical procedure type information stored on an RFID tag associated with the patient'"'"'s body to surgical procedure type information stored in the database;

determining an allowable zone in the patient'"'"'s body that corresponds to the type of surgical procedure to be performed;

determining whether the plurality of surgical items include a predetermined set of surgical items associated with the type of surgical procedure to be performed;

detecting movement of a surgical item outside the allowable zone in the patient'"'"'s body; and

triggering an alarm to indicate the surgical item is moving towards a zone in the patient'"'"'s body in which the surgical item may not be used; and

wherein the output device produces the alarm if the surgical type information stored in the RFID tag associated with the patient'"'"'s body does not match the surgical procedure type information stored in the database.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further operative to track disposable ones of the plurality of surgical items based upon their usage during the surgical procedure.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further operative to trigger the alarm when the predetermined set of surgical items is not associated with the type of surgical procedure to be performed on the patient'"'"'s body.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further operative to track disposable ones of the plurality of surgical items based upon their usage during the surgical procedure and to reorder the disposable items when an inventory of disposable items reaches a reorder point.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further operative to compile billing information associated with usage of said plurality of surgical items during said surgical procedure and to store information identifying surgical tools used on a patient during the surgical procedure.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the computing device is further operative to track operational hours of the surgical equipment used during the surgical procedure and to recommend maintenance on the surgical equipment according to the operational hours.

7. A method for tracking a plurality of surgical items comprising:

providing a plurality of surgical items, wherein each item has an associated RFID tag;

interrogating the RFID tags to determine a location and identity of the plurality of surgical items;

confirming a type of surgical procedure to be performed on a patient'"'"'s body;

comparing surgical procedure type information stored on an RFID tag associated with the patient'"'"'s body to surgical procedure type information stored in a database;

determining an allowable zone in the patient'"'"'s body that corresponds to the type of surgical procedure to be performed;

determining whether the plurality of surgical items include a predetermined set of surgical items associated with the type of surgical procedure to be performed;

detecting movement of a surgical item outside the allowable zone in the patient'"'"'s body; and

triggering an alarm to indicate the surgical item is moving towards a zone in the patient'"'"'s body in which the surgical item may not be used; and

producing the alarm if the surgical type information stored in the RFID tag associated with the patient does not match the surgical procedure type information stored in the database.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising tracking disposable ones of the plurality of surgical items based upon their usage during the surgical procedure.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising triggering the alarm when the predetermined set of surgical items is not associated with the type of surgical procedure to be performed on the patient'"'"'s body.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising tracking disposable ones of the plurality of surgical items based upon their usage during the surgical procedure and reordering the disposable items when an inventory of disposable items reaches a reorder point.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising compiling billing information associated with usage of the plurality of surgical items during the surgical procedure and storing information identifying surgical tools used on the patient'"'"'s body during the surgical procedure.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising tracking operational hours of surgical equipment used during the surgical procedure and recommending maintenance on the surgical equipment according to the operational hours.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising tracking usage time for each billable item used during the surgical procedure.