System and method for managing point of care assignments
First Claim
1. A per-patient device for association with a patient and for automatically logging items that the patient encounters, each such item having a corresponding respective first identification transmitter, and the patient having a corresponding second identification transmitter, the per-patient device comprising:
- a reader; and
a portable housing containing;
a memory; and
a processor coupled to the memory and to the reader, the processor being programmed to;
automatically determine when a first identification transmitter is within a range of the reader;
automatically receive an identification signal transmitted by the first identification transmitter and store, in the memory, information about an item that corresponds to the first identification transmitter, such that the information is stored beyond end of an encounter between the patient and the item;
automatically determine when the second identification transmitter that corresponds to the patient ceases to be within the range; and
automatically determine when the second identification transmitter that corresponds to the patient is again within the range.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A portable, battery-powered per-patient device automatically detects and logs patient encounters with items, such as medical equipment, drug containers, caregivers, visitors and other patients, in a healthcare facility. A separate per-patient device is assigned to each patient in the facility. The per-patient device is intended to remain with the patient during the patient'"'"'s stay. The device may be attached to the patient'"'"'s bed, wheelchair, walker or the like. If the patient is ambulatory, the patient may carry the device. RF-ID or other suitable tags are attached to items that a patient may encounter. Each per-patient device automatically detects and logs RF-ID-tagged items, including the patient, that come within a range of the device. The device also detects and longs when an item is no longer within range of the device, such as because a caregiver leaves the patient'"'"'s room or a medical device is removed from the patient'"'"'s room. The per-patient device also detects and logs when an item is reunited with a patient. Information, such as a time and date on which an RF-ID tag is detected or ceases to be detected, may be included in the log. The logged information may be used to obtain status or location information about the items. In addition, if an item or a patient is found to be infected, all the people or items that encountered the item or patient can be listed by querying the log.
73 Citations
83 Claims
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1. A per-patient device for association with a patient and for automatically logging items that the patient encounters, each such item having a corresponding respective first identification transmitter, and the patient having a corresponding second identification transmitter, the per-patient device comprising:
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a reader; and a portable housing containing; a memory; and a processor coupled to the memory and to the reader, the processor being programmed to; automatically determine when a first identification transmitter is within a range of the reader; automatically receive an identification signal transmitted by the first identification transmitter and store, in the memory, information about an item that corresponds to the first identification transmitter, such that the information is stored beyond end of an encounter between the patient and the item; automatically determine when the second identification transmitter that corresponds to the patient ceases to be within the range; and automatically determine when the second identification transmitter that corresponds to the patient is again within the range. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. A system for automatically logging items that a patient encounters, each such item having an associated respective first identification transmitter, and the patient having an associated second identification transmitter, the system comprising:
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a server; and a plurality of portable per-patient devices, each per-patient device being communicably linked to the server over an at least partially wireless link, each per-patient device comprising; a wireless port for communicating with the server via the at least partially wireless link; a reader; and a processor coupled to the wireless port and to the reader, the processor being programmed to; automatically determine when a first identification transmitter is within a range of the reader; automatically receive an identification signal transmitted by the first identification transmitter; send data related to the first identification transmitter, via the wireless port, to the server; automatically determine when the second identification transmitter that corresponds to the patient ceases to be within the range; and automatically determine when the second identification transmitter that corresponds to the patient is again within the range; wherein the server is programmed to store information about items that correspond to respective first identification transmitters that are determined to be within the range. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57)
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58. A computer-implemented method for automatically logging items that a patient encounters, each such item having an associated respective first identification transmitter, and the patient having an associated second identification transmitter, the method comprising:
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associating an electronic reader with the patient; listening, with the associated reader, for a signal from a first identification transmitter; automatically detecting the first identification transmitter when the first identification transmitter is within a range of the reader; automatically storing, in a computer memory, information about an item that corresponds to the detected first identification transmitter; automatically determining when the second identification transmitter that corresponds to the patient ceases to be within the range; and then automatically determining when the second identification transmitter that corresponds to the patient is again within the range. - View Dependent Claims (59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82)
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83. A computer program product, comprising:
a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium on which is stored computer instructions for automatically logging items that a patient encounters, each such item having an associated respective first identification transmitter, and the patient having an associated second identification transmitter, which instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to; automatically determine when a first identification transmitter is within a range of a reader; automatically receive an identification signal transmitted by the first identification transmitter and store, in a memory, information about an item that corresponds to the first identification transmitter, such that the information is stored beyond end of an encounter between the patient and the item; automatically determine when the second identification transmitter that corresponds to a patient ceases to be within the range; and automatically determine when the second identification transmitter that corresponds to the patient is again within the range.
Specification