Monitoring of a time period relating to a product

• US 9,990,864 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2016
• Issued: 06/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Senver Holdings pty Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Senver Pty. Ltd.
• Inventors: Senanayake, Sanjaya Naresh, Verdickt, Gary Martin, Senanayake, Dilukshi Tarindu, Verdickt, Kushlani Kumari, Dawson, Luke Thomas, May, Stuart Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): EUSTAQUIO, CAL J
• Application Number:
  US15/363,417
• Publication Number:
  US 20170076641A1
• Time in Patent Office: 553 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0803 Counting the number of times an instrument is used
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/028 Arrangements to prevent overuse, e.g. by counting the number of uses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/00 Measuring for diagnostic purposes radiation diagnosis A61B6/00; diagnosis by ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves A61B8/00; Identification of persons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/90 Identification means for patients or instruments, e.g. tags
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/82 Internal energy supply devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0017 specially adapted for long-term hygiene care, e.g. urethral or indwelling catheters to prevent infections
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/002 Packages specially adapted therefor combined with means for introducing catheters, e.g. dispensers, A61M25/0113; catheter kit packages for surgical articles A61B50/30
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 21/00 Producing acoustic time signals by electrical means for mechanical clocks or watches G04B21/08, G04B25/00
• CPC Class Codes: G04F 1/005 using electronic timing, e.g. counting means pulse time delay arrangements H03K5/13; modifications of electronic switches for introducing a time delay before switching H03K17/28
• CPC Class Codes: G04F 3/06 with electric driving mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/00 Registering, indicating or recording the time of events or elapsed time, e.g. time-recorders for work people registering or indicating the working of machines or vehicles G07C3/00, G07C5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/18 Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 1/00 Cardboard or like show-cards of foldable or flexible material
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 2003/0272 Labels for containers
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 27/004 Displays including an emergency or alarm message
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0288 Labels or tickets consisting of more than one part, e.g. with address of sender or other reference on separate section to main label; Multi-copy labels
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/10 by an adhesive layer
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/65 stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 : for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades

Abstract

A label includes a timer to monitor a predetermined time period relating to a medical device, such as an indwelling cannula, or other product. The label includes a signalling apparatus that provides an alert signal on expiry of the predetermined time period and a fixing portion to fix the label to a support surface such as medical records of a patient. The label can have a first portion and a second portion and the first portion can be separable from the second portion. The fixing portion can be provided in the second portion and all or part of the signalling apparatus provided in the first portion. Also disclosed is a monitoring system for a medical device, including a base station and a label receivable by the base station. The monitoring system monitors a predetermined time period based on receipt of the label by the base station.

Claims

1. A label comprising:

a first portion and a second portion, the first and second portions being connected together;

wherein the first portion comprises a timer to monitor a predetermined time period, a signalling apparatus that provides an alert signal on expiry of the predetermined time period, and a power source to supply power to the timer and signalling apparatus;

wherein an adhesive is provided on a rear surface of the second portion to fix the label to a support surface during monitoring of the predetermined time period; and

wherein at least one of a frangible element, a tear line, a tear notch, perforations and a region of weakness is located between the first portion and the second portion to enable disconnection of the first portion from the second portion when the second portion is fixed to the support surface by the adhesive and after monitoring of the predetermined time period.

2. The label of claim 1, wherein the support surface is provided by patient medical records.

3. The label of claim 2, wherein the medical records comprise one or more sheet elements of paper, plastic or card.

4. The label of claim 2, wherein the first portion is arranged to overhang an edge of the medical records when the label is fixed to the medical records by the adhesive.

5. The label of claim 1, wherein the support surface is provided by a surface of a container.

6. The label of claim 1, wherein the second portion is planar.

7. The label of claim 1, wherein the label is a single-use label.

8. The label of claim 1, wherein the second portion comprises a display portion, including a surface on which a user can write information and/or a surface on which information is pre-printed.

9. The label of claim 1, wherein the signalling apparatus provides a first type of alert signal prior to expiry of the predetermined time period and a second type of alert signal upon expiry of the predetermined time period, the first and second types of alert signal being different.

10. The label of claim 9, wherein the first type of alert signal is emitted upon an actuation step being carried out by a user.

11. The label of claim 10, wherein the actuation step comprises pressing a button comprised in the label.

12. The label of claim 1, wherein the label comprises a tab that is removable to initiate monitoring of the predetermined time period by the timer.

13. The label of claim 1, wherein the adhesive is covered by a removable backing layer.

14. The label of claim 13, wherein removal of the backing layer initiates monitoring of the predetermined time period.

15. Medical records comprising the label according to claim 1.

16. A container comprising the label according to claim 1.

17. The label of claim 1, wherein the label has a longitudinal axis and the first and second portions of the label are located opposite to each other along the longitudinal axis.

18. The label of claim 1, wherein the timer is provided by a processor and wherein the signalling apparatus comprises an LED and the power source comprises a battery.

19. The label of claim 1, wherein adhesive is not provided on a rear surface of the first portion of the label.

20. The label of claim 1, wherein the second portion of the label does not comprise any electronic components.