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System for sensing and recording consumption of medical items during medical procedure

  • US 9,922,304 B2
  • Filed: 10/02/2014
  • Issued: 03/20/2018
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2013
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for sensing and recording consumption of medical items during performance of a medical procedure, wherein the medical items are at least initially enclosed in wrappers having RFID tags disposed in or on the wrappers, wherein medical item information regarding the medical items is encoded in the RFID tags, the apparatus comprising:

  • a shielded enclosure having an internal space for receiving the wrappers of the medical items, the shielded enclosure configured to attenuate radio frequency signals emanated from RFID tags disposed outside the shielded enclosure to levels that are substantially undetectable within the internal space;

    one or more first RFID antennas for receiving radio frequency signals emanated from RFID tags attached to the wrappers disposed within the internal space, wherein the radio frequency signals contain the medical item information encoded in the RFID tags;

    at least one first RFID reader electrically connected to the one or more first RFID antennas, the at least one first RFID reader for decoding the medical item information contained in the radio frequency signals emanated from the RFID tags;

    a portal having;

    a portal opening through which unused wrappers pass, the unused wrappers enclosing medical items that are available for use; and

    one or more second RFID antennas for receiving radio frequency signals emanated from RFID tags attached to the unused wrappers that pass through the portal; and

    at least one second RFID reader electrically connected to the one or more second RFID antennas of the portal, the at least one second RFID reader for decoding the medical item information contained in the radio frequency signals emanated from the RFID tags that pass through the portal; and

    a computer in electrical communication with the at least one first RFID reader and the at least one second RFID reader, the computer having a processor for executing a medical item inventory module comprising;

    instructions for receiving the medical item information decoded by the at least one first RFID reader and generating a post-op used-item list of medical items consumed during the medical procedure based on the medical item information encoded in the RFID tags attached to used wrappers disposed in the internal space of the shielded enclosure;

    instructions for receiving the medical item information decoded by the at least one second RFID reader and generating a post-op unused-item list of medical items that were not consumed during the medical procedure based on medical item information encoded in RFID tags attached to the unused set of wrappers that pass through the portal; and

    instructions for analyzing the post-op unused-item list of medical items that were not consumed during the medical procedure and post-op unused-item lists generated during multiple other medical procedures of the same type performed by the same doctor to determine trends in the lack of usage of certain medical items listed on Bills of Materials or Doctor Preference Cards.

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