Surgical instrument recycling and tracking system

• US 5,374,813 A
• Filed: 10/15/1992
• Issued: 12/20/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apollo Camera, LLC
• Original Assignee: Life Surgery, Inc.
• Inventors: Shipp, John I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Willis, Davis L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): RASHID, PETER
• Application Number:
  US07/962,489
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/385, 364/403, 364/413.01
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/2909 Handles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2931 with releasable head
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/00 Containers, covers, furniture or holders specially adapted for surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments, e.g. sterile covers drapes specially adapted for instruments A61B46/10
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/96 using barcodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2219/10 Environmental application, e.g. waste reduction, pollution control, compliance with environmental legislation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades

Abstract

A system for recycling and tracking of reusable surgical instruments includes a remotely located instrument sterilization and maintenance facility, electronically linked to a shipping carrier and a hospital facility. Orders for surgical instrument kits needed during a predetermined surgical schedule are placed electronically from the hospital site and transmitted to a host computer at the remote sterilization and maintenance facility. Instrument kits are stored at the sterilization and maintenance facility which also receives used instrument kits from the hospital. Decontamination, inspection, repair, recycling, and sterilization stations at the sterilization and maintenance facility allows for rapid, efficient, and low cost maintenance and repacking of used instruments for reuse at the hospital.

Bar code readers connected to remote data terminals located at the hospital, at the maintenance facility and on board the shipping carrier track electronically the inventory and location of instruments needed by the hospital.

Claims

1. A system for tracking and recycling of surgical instruments used in a hospital comprising:

a. a facility for maintenance of said instruments, said maintenance facility remotely located from said hospital;

b. means, located at said maintenance facility, for decontamination, inspection, and sterilization of said instruments after use at said hospital;

c. means for transporting kits comprised of said sterilized instruments from said maintenance facility to said hospital and for transporting used surgical instruments from said hospital to said maintenance facility;

d. host computer means for receiving, tracking, processing, and transmitting data associated with said instrument kits; and

e. at least one remote data terminal located at said hospital and electronically linked to said host computer means, said data terminal adapted for entry of data associated with said instrument kits, said data including orders for said kits needed for surgical procedures scheduled at said hospital.

2. The system of claim 1 where said surgical instruments comprise components separable and replaceable by use of hand tools.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one data terminal located at said maintenance facility and electronically linked to said host computer, said terminal adapted for entry and receipt of data associated with said instrument kits.

4. The system of claim 3 further comprising bar code labels attached to and identifying said instrument kits and means located at said hospital and said maintenance facility, and electronically linked to said host computer, for reading data on said bar code labels.

5. The system of claim 4, said instrument kit transport means further comprising means for reading and recording data on said bar code labels.

6. The system of claim 5 further comprising means on said transport means for electronically transmitting said recorded bar code data to said hospital.

7. A method of tracking surgical instruments used in hospitals comprising the steps of:

a. communicating from a data terminal at said hospital to a host computer data identifying surgical procedures scheduled to be performed at said hospital during a scheduling period;

b. combining at an instrument maintenance facility separate from said hospital a group of said cleaned and sterilized instruments into instrument kits, each of said kits corresponding to one of said surgical procedures;

c. transporting by carrier from said maintenance facility to said hospital said instrument kits corresponding to said scheduled surgical procedure data communicated from said hospital to said host computer;

d. transporting by carrier from said hospital to said maintenance facility said instrument kits after use at said hospital; and

e. cleaning and sterilizing at said maintenance facility said instruments from said instrument kits.