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Method and apparatus to account for transponder tagged objects used during medical procedures

  • US 9,226,686 B2
  • Filed: 11/22/2010
  • Issued: 01/05/2016
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2009
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method of accounting for medical procedure objects, the method comprising:

  • at least proximate a start of a medical procedure on a patient, automatically detecting each of a number of medical procedure objects for performing the medical procedure within at least one sterile field using at least one sterile field antenna that is carried by at least a portion of a surface proximate the at least one sterile field, fixed with respect to the at least one sterile field, and having a detection range coextensive with the at least one sterile field, and which at least one sterile field is at least proximate to the patient but which at least one sterile field does not encompass any portion of a body of the patient;

    each time one of the medical procedure objects is removed from the at least one sterile field, identifying the removed medical procedure object as checked out in a database; and

    each time the medical procedure object is returned to the at least one sterile field or to a non-sterile field, identifying the returned medical procedure object as checked-in in the database;

    automatically detecting a first medical procedure object of the number of medical procedure objects within the non-sterile field using at least one non-sterile field antenna that is carried proximate the non-sterile field and that has a detection range coextensive with the non-sterile field, wherein the non-sterile field does not encompass any portion of the body of the patient;

    after detecting the first medical procedure object within the non-sterile field, automatically detecting the first medical procedure object within the at least one sterile field using the at least one sterile field antenna;

    in response to detecting the first medical procedure object within the at least one sterile field after detecting the first medical procedure object within the non-sterile field, providing an indication that the first medical procedure object has been returned to the at least one sterile field after being present in the non-sterile field; and

    at least proximate an end of the medical procedure on the patient, automatically determining whether each of the number of medical procedure objects detected within the at least one sterile field at least proximate the start of the medical procedure are present in at least one of either the at least one sterile field or at least one non-sterile field, neither of which the at least one sterile field and the at least one non-sterile field encompass any portion of the body of the patient.

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