PATIENT-SPECIMEN IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM USING STORED ASSOCIATED NUMBERS

• US 3,831,006 A
• Filed: 01/19/1973
• Issued: 08/20/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Herbert E. Heist, John H. Chaffin III, Wayne L. Walters, William D. Ellis
• Original Assignee: Herbert E. Heist, John H. Chaffin III, Wayne L. Walters, William D. Ellis
• Inventors: Chaffin, John H. III, Ellis, William D., Heist, Herbert E., Walters, Wayne L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hecker, Stuart N.
• Application Number:
  US05/324,931
• Time in Patent Office: 578 Days
• Field of Search: 235/61.7R,61.9R 23/253R 40/324 116/130
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5453 for test tubes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/089 hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/21 having a variable access code
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/40 for data related to laboratory analysis, e.g. patient specimen analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

A patient-specimen identification system provides error-free identification of a specimen or sample from the time it is taken from a patient to the time when the results of the sample analysis are reported. Machine-readable labels are attached to the patient and to each container in which a sample or sub-sample may be contained. The machine-readable labels each contain a permanently encoded unique random number. When a sample is taken from the patient, the labels attached to the patient and the sample container are read and the two numbers are stored in an associated manner. Similarly, when portions of the sample are transferred to sub-sample containers, labels attached to the sample container and the sub-sample container are read and the two numbers are stored in an associated manner. The sub-samples are analyzed and the analysis results are associated with the number on the sub-sample container label. The analysis results are then correlated to the patient'"'"''"'"'s identity and the analysis results and patient'"'"''"'"'s identity are printed out in an associated manner.

Claims

1. In a system in which a test sample is taken from a bulk quantity having an unique identity and the test sample is analyzed, an improved method for reliably associating the analysis results with the bulk quantity, the improved method comprising:

attaching to the bulk quantity a machine-readable label having a unique bulk quantity number encoded thereon, storing the unique identity and the bulk quantity number in an associated manner, attaching a machine-readable label to each test sample taken from the bulk quantity, each machine-readable label having a unique test sample number encoded thereon, reading the bulk quantity number and each of the test sample numbers, storing the bulk quantity number and each of the test sample numbers in an associated manner, reading the test sample numbers, associating each test sample number with an analysis result obtained from analysis of the corresponding test sample, correlating the analysis results to the unique identity, and recording the analysis results and the unique identity in an associated manner.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein reading the test sample numbers and associating each test sample number with an analysis result comprises:

attaching a machine-readable label to each subsample taken from a test sample, each machine-readable label having a unique sub-sample number encoded thereon, reading the test sample number and each of the sub-sample numbers, storing the test sample number and each of the sub-sample numbers in an associated manner, reading the sub-sample numbers, and associating each sub-sample number with an analysis result obtained from analysis of the corresponding sub-sample.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the bulk quantity is a human patient and the test sample is a fluid or tissue from the human patient.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the test sample numbers are temporary numbers and wherein the method further comprises:

clearing the test sample numbers for reuse after correlating.

5. A method for analyzing samples from a patient and reliably reporting the analysis results, the method comprising:

attaching a machine-readable label to the patient, the machine-readable label containing unique random number x from a first set of random numbers X, storing the patient'"'"''"'"'s identity and random number x in an associated manner in memory means, taking a sample from the patient, placing the sample in a sample container having a machine-readable label attached thereto, the machine-readable label containing unique random number y from a second set of random numbers Y, reading the machine-readable label attached to the patient, reading the machine-readable label attached to the sample container, storing random numbers x and y in an associated manner in a portable temporary memory, transferring the associated random numbers x and y from the portable temporary memory to the memory means, transferring portions of the sample from the sample container to a plurality of sub-sample containers, each sub-sample container having attached thereto a machine-readable label containing a unique random number z from a third set of random numbers Z, reading the machine-readable label attached to the sample container, reading the machine-readable labels attached to each of the sub-sample containers, storing random number y and each random number z in an associated manner in the memory means, analyzing the contents of at least one of the sub-sample containers, reading the machine-readable label attached to the sub-sample container, directing the analysis results and random number z to the memory means in an associated manner, correlating the analysis results to the patient'"'"''"'"'s identity, and recording the analysis results and the patient'"'"''"'"'s identity in an associated manner.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the first, second and third sets X, Y and Z of random numbers comprise a master set of random numbers.

7. In a system in which a sample is taken from a patient, a sub-sample is taken from the sample, and the sub-sample is analyzed, improved means for reliably associating the analysis results with the patient, the improved means comprising:

memory means for storing pairs of data in an associated manner, a machine-readablE patient label for attachment to a patient, the machine-readable label containing a unique random number x from a first set of random numbers X, first data entry means for directing the patient'"'"''"'"'s identity and random number x to the memory means in an associated manner, a machine-readable sample label for attachment to a sample from the patient, the machine-readable sample label containing a unique random number y from a second set of random numbers Y, first reader means for reading the machine-readable patient label and for reading the machine-readable sample label, portable temporary memory means for storing the random numbers x and y in an associated manner, second data entry means for transferring the associated random numbers from the portable temporary memory means to the memory means, a machine-readable sub-sample label for attachment to a sub-sample from the sample, the machine-readable sub-sample label containing a unique random number z from a third set of random numbers Z, second reader means for reading the machine-readable sample label and for reading the machine-readable sub-sample label, third data entry means for directing the random number y and the random number z to the memory means in an associated manner, third reader means for reading the machine-readable sub-sample label, fourth data entry means for directing the analysis results obtained from analysis of the sub-sample and random number z to the memory means in an associated manner, logic means for correlating the analysis results to the patient'"'"''"'"'s identity, and recording means for recording the analysis results and the patient'"'"''"'"'s identity in an associated manner.

8. The invention of claim 7 wherein the recording means comprises the memory means.

9. The invention of claim 7 wherein the recording means comprises printer means for printng the analysis results and the patient'"'"''"'"'s identity in an associated manner.

10. The invention of claim 7 wherein the memory means and the logic means comprise a digital computer.

11. The invention of claim 7 wherein the machine-readable patient label also contains a human-readable representation of random number x.

12. The invention of claim 7 wherein the machine-readable sample label also contains a human-readable representation of random number y.

13. The invention of claim 7 wherein the machine-readable sub-sample label also contains a human-readable representation of random number z.

14. The invention of claim 7 wherein the sample is a liquid sample.

15. The invention of claim 14 wherein the liquid sample is blood.

16. The invention of claim 14 wherein the sample is contained in a sample container and wherein the sample label is adapted to be attached to the sample container.

17. The invention of claim 16 wherein the sub-sample is contained in a sub-sample container and wherein the sub-sample label is adapted to be attached to the sub-sample container.

18. The invention of claim 7 wherein the machine-readable patient label is adapted to be attached to a patient'"'"''"'"'s wrist.

19. The invention of claim 7 wherein the machine-readable patient, sample, and sub-sample label may be read by common apparatus.

20. The invention of claim 19 wherein the machine-readable patient, sample, and sub-sample labels each contain machine-readable indicia to indicate whether the label is a patient, sample, or sub-sample label.

21. The invention of claim 7 wherein the machine-readable patient, sample, and sub-sample labels each contain a human-readable representation of the machine-readable random number contained thereon.

22. The invention of claim 21 and further comprising first display means for visually displaying random numbers x and y as read by first reader means.

23. The invention of claim 21 and further comprising second display means for visually displaying random numbers y and z AS read by second reader means.

24. The invention of claim 21 and further comprising third display means for visually displaying random number z as read by third reader means.

25. Apparatus for correlating an identified bulk quantity with the analysis result of a test sample taken from the bulk quantity, the apparatus comprising:

a memory for storing pairs of data in an associated manner;

a machine-readable label for attachment to the bulk quantity and having a unique number;

first data entry means for directing the bulk quantity identity and the unique number to the memory in an associated manner;

a machine-readable label for attachment to a test sample and having a unique number;

a first reader for reading the labels;

a temporary memory for storing the bulk quantity label number and the test sample label number in an associated manner;

second data entry means for transferring the associated numbers from the temporary memory to the first mentioned memory;

a second reader for reading the test sample label number;

third data entry means for directing the test sample label number and an analysis result relating to the test sample in an associated manner to the first mentioned memory;

logic means for correlating the analysis result to the identified bulk quantity; and

a recorder for recording the analysis result and the identity of the bulk quantity in an associated manner.

26. Apparatus as in claim 25 wherein each of said numbers is picked at random from a predetermined group of numbers.

27. The Apparatus of claim 25 including:

a machine-readable label for attachment to a sub-sample taken from the test sample, the sub-sample label having a unique number thereon; and

wherein the second reader in use reading the test sample label and the sub-sample label;

a third reader for reading the sub-sample label; and

wherein the third data entry means includes two data entry devices, one for directing the test sample label number and the sub-sample label number in an associated manner to the first mentioned memory, and the other for directing the analysis of the sub-sample and the sub-sample label number in an associated manner to the first mentioned memory.