Surgical suite radio frequency identification methods and systems

• US 20080147529A1
• Filed: 12/19/2006
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Propety Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kreiner, Barrett, Reeves, Jonathan
• Granted Patent: US 7,617,137 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/34
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/90 Identification means for patients or instruments, e.g. tags
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/98 using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/18 Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/65 stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/00 ICT specially adapted for the handling or processing of medical references
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

Systems and methods according to the present invention address this need and others by providing the ability to accurately track all equipment used in a surgical suite through the used of RFID tags.

Claims

1. A system for tracking surgical items comprising:

a sensor capable of reading said RFID tags associated therewith;

a computing device in communication with said sensor; and

a database in communication with said computing device,

wherein said computing device performs at least one of the following functions based on information received from said sensor and said database;

(a) confirming a type of surgical procedure to be performed;

(b) determining whether one or more of said plurality of surgical items are located outside of at least one allowable zone, said at least one allowable zone being determined based on a type of surgical procedure to be performed;

(c) determining whether said plurality of surgical items include a predetermined set of surgical items associated with said type of surgical procedure to be performed;

(d) tracking disposable ones of said plurality of surgical items based upon their usage during said surgical procedure; and

(e) compiling billing information associated with usage of said plurality of surgical items during said surgical procedure.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one of the following functions is (a) confirming a type of surgical procedure to be performed and wherein said computing device further operates to compare surgical procedure type information stored on an RFID tag associated with the patient to surgical procedure type information stored in said database.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising an output device for producing an alarm if said surgical type information stored in said RFID tag associated with the patient does not match said surgical procedure type information stored in said database.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one of the following functions is (b) determining whether one or more of said plurality of surgical items are located outside of said at least one allowable zone, said at least one allowable zone being determined based on said type of surgical procedure to be performed and further comprising an output device for producing an alarm if said one or more of said plurality of surgical items are located outside of said at least one allowable zone.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one of the following functions is (c) determining whether said plurality of surgical items include a predetermined set of surgical items associated with said type of surgical procedure to be performed and further comprising an output device for producing an alarm if said plurality of surgical items do not include said predetermined set of surgical items.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one of the following functions is (d) tracking disposable ones of said plurality of surgical items based upon their usage during said surgical procedure and further wherein said computing device reorders said disposable items when an inventory of disposable items reaches a reorder point.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one of the following functions is (e) compiling billing information associated with usage of said plurality of surgical items during said surgical procedure and further wherein said database stores information identifying surgical tools used on a patient during said surgical procedure.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said computing device tracks operational hours of surgical equipment used during said surgical procedure.

21. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of surgical items, wherein each item has an associated RFID tag; and

a surgical table, wherein said surgical table includes said sensor.

9. A method for tracking a plurality of surgical items comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of surgical items, wherein each item has an associated RFID tag;

interrogating said RFID tags to determine a location and identity of said plurality of surgical items; and

performing at least one of the following functions based on information received from said interrogating step;

(a) confirming a type of surgical procedure to be performed;

(b) determining whether one or more of said plurality of surgical items are located outside of at least one allowable zone, said at least one allowable zone being determined based on said type of surgical procedure to be performed;

(c) determining whether said plurality of surgical items include a predetermined set of surgical items associated with said type of surgical procedure to be performed;

(d) tracking disposable ones of said plurality of surgical items based upon their usage during said surgical procedure; and

(e) compiling billing information associated with usage of said plurality of surgical items during said surgical procedure.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said at least one of the following functions is (a) confirming a type of surgical procedure to be performed and said method further comprising the step of:

comparing surgical procedure type information stored on an RFID tag associated with the patient to surgical procedure type information stored in a database.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of:

producing an alarm if said surgical type information stored in said RFID tag associated with the patient does not match said surgical procedure type information stored in said database.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said at least one of the following functions is (b) determining whether one or more of said plurality of surgical items are located outside of said at least one allowable zone, said at least one allowable zone being determined based on said type of surgical procedure to be performed and further comprising the step of:

producing an alarm if said one or more of said plurality of surgical items are located outside of said at least one allowable zone.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein said at least one of the following functions is (c) determining whether said plurality of surgical items include a predetermined set of surgical items associated with said type of surgical procedure to be performed and further comprising the step of:

producing an alarm if said plurality of surgical items do not include said predetermined set of surgical items.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein said at least one of the following functions is (d) tracking disposable ones of said plurality of surgical items based upon their usage during said surgical procedure and further comprising the step of:

reordering said disposable items when an inventory of disposable items reaches a reorder point.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein said at least one of the following functions is (e) compiling billing information associated with usage of said plurality of surgical items during said surgical procedure and further comprising the step of:

storing information identifying surgical tools used on a patient during said surgical procedure.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of:

tracking operational hours of surgical equipment used during said surgical procedure.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of:

tracking usage time for each billable item used during said surgical procedure

18. A system for tracking a plurality of surgical items comprising:

means for interrogating RFID tags to determine a location and identity of a plurality of surgical items; and

means for performing at least one of the following functions based on information received from said interrogating means;

(a) means for confirming a type of surgical procedure to be performed;

(b) means for determining whether one or more of said plurality of surgical items are located outside of at least one allowable zone, said at least one allowable zone being determined based on said type of surgical procedure to be performed;

(c) means for determining whether said plurality of surgical items include a predetermined set of surgical items associated with said type of surgical procedure to be performed;

(d) means for tracking disposable ones of said plurality of surgical items based upon their usage during said surgical procedure; and

(e) means for compiling billing information associated with usage of said plurality of surgical items during said surgical procedure.

19. A system for tracking surgical items comprising:

a plurality of surgical items, wherein each item has an associated RFID tag;

a surgical table, wherein said surgical table has a sensor capable of reading said RFID tags associated therewith;

a computing device in communication with said sensor; and

a projector in communication with said computing device, wherein said projector projects a visual indicator to a location associated with one of said plurality of surgical items in response to a command from said computing device.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

an input device, in communication with said computing device, for receiving a request to project said visual indicator.