Method and apparatus for surgical instrument identification

• US 20060244652A1
• Filed: 04/28/2005
• Published: 11/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Warsaw Orthopedic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: SDGI Holdings Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Nycz, Jeffrey H., Varner, Robert, Tethrake, Steven M., Elliott, Paul, Pelo, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 7,837,694 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/44
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/33 Trays
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/00 Instruments, implements or accessories specially adapted for surgery or diagnosis and not covered by any of the groups A61B1/00 - A61B50/00, e.g. for luxation treatment or for protecting wound edges protective face masks A41D13/11; surgeon's or patient's gowns or dresses A41D13/12; devices for carrying-off, for treatment of, or for carrying-over, body liquids A61M1/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/98 using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders

Abstract

Systems and methods for identifying surgical instruments by use of radio-frequency identification tags (RFID) are disclosed. In the systems and methods, each of a plurality of surgical instruments is provided with at least one RFID transponder tag storing identification information associated with the corresponding instrument. The tag may be adhered to, embedded, or potted within a portion of the instrument. Using an RFID reading device, a user may interrogate the tag, thereby identifying the particular instrument. This identification information may be used to index a database and retrieve a data record unique to that instrument. The systems and methods allow a user to track, inspect, and verify inbound and outbound surgical instruments, to assess, for example, the surgical instruments'"'"' duty life cycle usage.

Claims

1. A method for identifying surgical instruments, comprising:

programming at least one RF identification tag with identification information corresponding to a surgical instrument

physically associating the least one radio frequency identification tag with at least one surgical instrument;

presenting the at least one surgical instrument into a wireless radio frequency field of a reader device;

receiving with the reading device an RF data signal from the at least one radio frequency tagged surgical instruments containing the identification information;

comparing the data from the at least one radio frequency tagged surgical instruments to previously stored information in a database.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein physically associating comprises attaching a tag to the surgical instrument.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein physically associating comprises embedding the tag in a portion of the surgical instrument during the instrument'"'"'s manufacture.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein physically associating comprises potting the tag in a portion of surgical instrument.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the reader device is at least one device selected from the group consisting of a desk top device, a table-mounted device, a hand held device, and combinations thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein programming comprises writing information to the tag using an RF tag writing device, the information selected from at least one member of the group consisting of a part number, a part name, a manufacturer name, a manufacture date, and a number of times and/or dates that servicing has been performed on the instrument.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein servicing comprises autoclaving.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein servicing comprises ultrasonic cleaning.

9. The method of claim 1, comparing further comprising retrieving a data record from the database based on the received identification information.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising displaying at least a portion of the data record on a display screen of the reading device.

11. A system for determining the contents of a surgical instrument tray, comprising:

a surgical instrument tray having at least one surgical instrument, each at least one surgical instrument comprising an RFID transponder tag having identification information corresponding to the at least one surgical instrument stored in a memory therein;

a reader device that, when placed in proximity to the at least one instrument, generates an RF field of sufficient strength to cause the RFID transponder tag to emit a signal containing at least some of its stored identification information, the signal being received by the reader device; and

a database coupled to the reader device for storing information corresponding to the identification information read by the reader device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein each at least one surgical instrument has at least one RFID tag affixed on a surface thereof.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein each at least one surgical instrument has a at least one RFID tag embedded into a portion thereof.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein each at least one surgical instrument has at least one RFID tag potted in a portion therof.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the identification information comprises information selected from the group consisting of a part number, a part name, a manufacturer name, a manufacture date, and a number of times and/or dates that servicing has been performed on the instrument.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein servicing comprises autoclaving.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein servicing comprises ultrasonic cleaning.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the reader device is at least one device selected from the group consisting of a desk top device, a table-mounted device, a hand held device, and combinations thereof

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the database is located in the reader device.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the database is a remote database accessible by the reader device.

21. The system of claim 11, wherein the reader device is adapted to retrieve a data record from the database based on the received identification information.

22. The system of claim 12, wherein the reader device is adapted to display at least a portion of the data record on a display screen of the device.