×

Method of dispensing and tracking the giving of medical items to patients

  • US 8,700,420 B2
  • Filed: 05/09/2007
  • Issued: 04/15/2014
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1994
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
Patent Images

1. A method comprising:

  • (a) operating at least one data reader of a hand-held portable device to read user identification data,wherein the portable device includes at least one processor, a memory, a data store, at least one input device, a display, at least one timer, and a communications device,wherein the memory includes programmed instructions,wherein the programmed instructions are configured to control operation of the at least one processor,wherein the data store includes an electronic medical report,wherein the medical report includes patient data corresponding to at least one patient, 

    wherein the patient data includes respective human-readable text corresponding to a respective name of each patient,wherein the medical report includes medical item data corresponding to at least one medical item, 

    wherein the medical item data includes respective human-readable text corresponding to a respective name of each medical item, 

    wherein the medical item data includes respective bar code indicia representative of each respective medical item, 

    wherein the medical item data includes bar code indicia representative of a first medical item,wherein the medical report associates each respective patient with at least one medical item that is to be given to the respective patient, 

    wherein the medical report associates a first patient with the first medical item,wherein the at least one input device includes the at least one data reader,wherein the at least one data reader is operable to read bar code indicia,wherein the display includes a display screen;

    wherein the user identification data is correlated with the user in at least one database,wherein a personal identification number (PIN) is correlated with the user in the at least one database,wherein the PIN differs from the user identification data, 

    wherein reading of the user identification data allows a user of the portable device to continue a medical transaction that involves the first medical item, where data representative of the first medical item is obtained by the at least one data reader reading displayed medical report data from the display screen;

    (b) responsive at least in part to (a), operating the at least one processor to start the at least one timer in beginning a predetermined time period for receiving input of the PIN;

    (c) subsequent to (b), operating the at least one input device to receive input of a PIN from the user;

    (d) determining through operation of the at least one processor that the PIN received in (c);

    is correlated with the user in the at least one database, andwas timely received within the predetermined time period started in (b);

    (e) subsequent to (d), operating the display to present at least a portion of the medical report through the display screen;

    (f) subsequent to (e), operating the at least one data reader to read from the display screen, the bar code indicia representative of the first medical item;

    (g) responsive at least in part to (f), operating the at least one processor to generate a transaction message that indicates the first medical item was taken from storage by the user;

    (h) responsive at least in part to (f), operating the at least one processor to start the at least one timer in beginning a predetermined time period for reading a patient identifier;

    (i) subsequent to (h), operating the at least one data reader to read bar code indicia representative of an identifier of the first patient;

    (j) determining through operation of the at least one processor that the bar code indicia read in (i) both;

    corresponds to a patient that is associated with the first medical item, andwas timely read within the predetermined time period started in (h);

    (k) responsive at least in part to (j), operating the at least one processor to generate a transaction message that indicates the first medical item was given to the first patient; and

    (l) operating the at least one processor to allow the transaction messages generated in (g) and (k) to be stored in the at least one database.

View all claims
  • 9 Assignments
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×