Systems and Methods for Tagging and Tracking Surgical Devices and Surgical Accessories Using Radio Frequency Identification Tags

• US 20150091725A1
• Filed: 12/10/2014
• Published: 04/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DePuy Synthes Products LLC (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: DePuy Synthes Products LLC (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Rigsby, Christopher, Andrie, Matthew J., LaWare, Adam, Beardsley, Timothy A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,179,977 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.12
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/70 Spinal positioners or stabilisers ; Bone stabilisers comprising fluid filler in an implant
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7001 Screws or hooks combined with longitudinal elements which do not contact vertebrae A61B17/7058 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2050/005 with a lid or cover
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2050/3008 having multiple compartments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2050/3011 having carrying handles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/20 Holders specially adapted for surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments drapes with means to hold surgical instruments A61B46/23; for catheters A61M25/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/22 Racks
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/30 Containers specially adapted for packaging, protecting, dispensing, collecting or disposing of surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments for wound clamps A61B17/10; for ligaturing clips A61B17/122; packages or dispensers for surgical gloves or finger-stalls A61B42/40
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/33 Trays
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/34 Baskets
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/40 Apparatus fixed or close to patients specially adapted for providing an aseptic surgical environment
• 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: A61L 2/00 Methods or apparatus for disinfecting or sterilising materials or objects other than foodstuffs or contact lenses; Accessories therefor for contact lenses A61L12/00; atomisers for disinfecting agents A61M; sterilisation of packages or package contents in association with packaging B65B55/00; treatment of water, waste water, sewage or sludge C02F; disinfecting paper D21H21/36; disinfecting devices for water closets E03D; articles having provision for disinfection, see the relevant subclasses for these articles, e.g. H04R1/12
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/26 Accessories or devices or components used for biocidal treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/21 Pharmaceuticals, e.g. medicaments, artificial body parts
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/24 Medical instruments, e.g. endoscopes, catheters, sharps
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/24 by interference with electromagnetic field distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2462 Asset location systems combined with EAS inventory, tracking, logistic G06Q10/00; entrance control systems G07C9/00
• 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 40/63 : for local operation

Abstract

Various systems and methods are provided for tagging and tracking surgical devices using radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. In general, the systems and methods allow for tracking surgical devices throughout distribution and sterilization thereof. In an exemplary embodiment, the system includes a tray configured to seat a plurality of surgical devices and having a parent RFID tag attached thereto that contains information and/or facilitates access to information about the tray and each of the surgical devices seated therein. Each of the surgical devices seated in the instrument tray can have attached thereto a child RFID tag containing information and/or facilitating access to information about the surgical device.

Claims

1. A medical system, comprising:

a surgical device carrying apparatus configured to be transported between an inventory storage location at which surgical inventory is stored and a medical care facility at which surgical procedures are performed;

a plurality of surgical devices seated in the surgical device carrying apparatus and being configured to be transported in the surgical device carrying apparatus between the inventory storage location and the medical care facility;

a parent radio frequency identification (RFID) tag attached to the surgical device carrying apparatus uniquely identifying the surgical device carrying apparatus and being configured to allow unique identification of each of the plurality of surgical devices seated in the surgical device carrying apparatus, the parent RFID tag being configured to be sterilized a plurality of times; and

a plurality of child RFID tags, each of the child RFID tags uniquely identifying one of the plurality of surgical devices, and each of the child RFID tags being configured to be sterilized a plurality of times.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the child RFID tags is directly attached to the one of the plurality of surgical devices that the child RFID tag uniquely identifies.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the child RFID tags is removably attached to the one of the plurality of surgical devices that the child RFID tag uniquely identifies.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of lids, each of the plurality of lids being removably coupled to the surgical device carrying apparatus such that each of the plurality of lids can be removed from the surgical device carrying apparatus independent of each other, and each of the plurality of lids being associated with one of the plurality of surgical devices and being configured to prevent removal of the one of the plurality of surgical devices from the surgical device carrying apparatus until removed from the surgical device carrying apparatus;

wherein each of the plurality of child RFID tags is attached to one of the plurality of lids such that removing one of the plurality of lids from the surgical device carrying apparatus removes the child RFID attached thereto from the surgical device carrying apparatus and allows the surgical device associated with the removed lid to be removed from the surgical device carrying apparatus.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of surgical devices includes at least one surgical implant configured to be implanted in a patient.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the at least one surgical implant includes a bone anchor having a recess formed therein, the child RFID tag for the bone anchor being attached to the bone anchor by being seated in the recess.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of surgical devices includes at least one surgical tool configured to be used in performing a surgical procedure on a patient.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the parent RFID tag is directly attached to the surgical device carrying apparatus.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the parent RFID tag is embedded within the surgical device carrying apparatus.

10. A medical method, comprising:

sterilizing a surgical device carrying apparatus seating a plurality of surgical devices, the surgical device carrying apparatus having a parent radio frequency identification (RFID) tag attached thereto that uniquely identifies the surgical device carrying apparatus and that allows unique identification of each of the plurality of surgical devices, and each of plurality of surgical devices having a child RFID tag attached thereto that uniquely identifies the one of the plurality of surgical devices to which the child RFID tag is attached;

after the sterilizing, receiving the surgical device carrying apparatus after a use of the surgical device carrying apparatus;

after the receiving, scanning the parent RFID tag and the child RFID tags of any of the surgical devices remaining in the surgical device carrying apparatus using an RFID tag reading device;

determining if any one or more of the plurality of surgical devices have been removed from the surgical device carrying apparatus based at least in part on the scanning of the parent RFID tag and the child RFID tags of any of the surgical devices remaining in the surgical device carrying apparatus;

replacing in the surgical device carrying apparatus the determined one or more of the plurality of surgical devices with one or more replacement surgical devices, each of the one or more replacement surgical devices having a child RFID tag attached thereto that uniquely identifies the one of the replacement surgical devices to which the child RFID tag is attached; and

after the determining and the replacing, resterilizing the surgical device carrying apparatus having the parent RFID tag attached thereto, having the non-removed plurality of surgical devices seated therein with their associated child RFID tags attached thereto, and having the one or more replacement surgical devices seated therein with their associated child RFID tags attached thereto.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising repeating the sterilizing, receiving, scanning, determining, replacing, and resterilizing a plurality of additional times.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the use of the surgical device carrying apparatus comprises at least one of a transport of the surgical device carrying apparatus from a first geographic location to a second geographic location that is different from the first geographic location, and presence of the surgical device carrying apparatus in a setting of a surgical procedure during which one or more of the plurality of surgical devices is configured to be used.

13. A medical method, comprising:

scanning a parent radio frequency identification (RFID) tag attached to a surgical device carrying apparatus seating a plurality of surgical devices, the parent RFID tag uniquely identifying the surgical device carrying apparatus and allowing unique identification of each of the plurality of surgical devices seated in the surgical device carrying apparatus;

scanning a plurality of child RFID tags, each of the child RFID tags uniquely identifying one of the plurality of surgical devices;

after scanning the parent RFID tag and the plurality of child RFID tags, sterilizing the surgical device carrying apparatus having the parent RFID tag attached thereto and having the plurality of surgical devices seated therein with the child RFID tags attached thereto;

after sterilizing the surgical device carrying apparatus, rescanning the parent RFID tag attached to the surgical device carrying apparatus; and

based at least in part on the rescanning of the parent RFID tag, determining which of the plurality of surgical devices remain seated in the surgical device carrying apparatus.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising, after determining which of the plurality of surgical devices remain seated in the surgical device carrying apparatus, restocking the surgical device carrying apparatus to replace any of the plurality of surgical devices not remaining seated in the surgical device carrying apparatus, each of the restocked surgical devices having attached thereto a child RFID tag uniquely identifying the restocked surgical device to which the child RFID is attached;

and

causing the parent RFID tag to allow unique identification of each of the one or more restocked surgical devices.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising resterilizing the surgical device carrying apparatus having the parent RFID tag attached thereto, having the remaining plurality of surgical devices seated therein with the child RFID tags attached thereto, and having the restocked surgical devices seated therein with the child RFID tags attached thereto;

and

after resterilizing, rescanning the parent RFID tag attached to the surgical device carrying apparatus and, based at least in part on the rescanning of the parent RFID tag, determining which of the remaining plurality of surgical devices and the restocked surgical devices remain seated in the surgical device carrying apparatus.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising repeating the scanning, sterilizing, rescanning, and determining a plurality of additional times.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising, after scanning the parent RFID tag and the plurality of child RFID tags, transporting the surgical device carrying apparatus having the plurality of surgical devices seated therein from a first location to a second location, the surgical device carrying apparatus having the parent RFID tag attached thereto and having the plurality of surgical devices seated therein with the child RFID tags attached thereto being sterilized at the second location;

and

transporting the surgical device carrying apparatus and each of the plurality of surgical devices remaining in the surgical device carrying apparatus from the second location to the first location, the parent RFID tag attached to the surgical device carrying apparatus and each of the child RFID tags remaining in the surgical device carrying apparatus being rescanned at the second location.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising repeating the scanning, sterilizing, rescanning, and determining a plurality of additional times, the surgical device carrying apparatus being transported from the first location after each of the repeated scannings.