Methods and systems for monitoring sterilization status

• US 8,992,837 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2012
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Enterprise Science Fund, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Jung, Edward K. Y., Levien, Royce A., Lord, Robert W., Malamud, Mark A., Rinaldo, John D. Jr., Wood, Lowell L. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): CLEVELAND, TIMOTHY C
• Application Number:
  US13/546,922
• Publication Number:
  US 20130017122A1
• Time in Patent Office: 993 Days
• Field of Search: 422/3, 422/119
• US Class Current: 422/119
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/07 Steam
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/10 Ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/20 Gaseous substances, e.g. vapours
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/24 Apparatus using programmed or automatic operation

Abstract

Methods and systems for monitoring sterilization status are provided.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

circuitry configured to compare one or more sterilization statuses associated with one or more objects to one or more sterilization levels associated with one or more spaces; and

circuitry configured to generate one or more signals to facilitate at least one of entrance or exit of the one or more objects into or from the one or more spaces at least partly in response to one or more comparisons of the one or more sterilization statuses associated with the one or more objects to the one or more sterilization levels associated with the one or more spaces.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry configured to detect the one or more sterilization statuses associated with the one or more objects.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry configured to detect the one or more sterilization levels associated with the one or more spaces.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured to compare one or more sterilization statuses associated with one or more objects to one or more sterilization levels associated with one or more spaces comprises:

circuitry configured to compare one or more sterilization statuses associated with one or more objects to one or more sterilization levels associated with one or more spaces to determine if the one or more sterilization statuses are within one or more compliance ranges associated with the one or more sterilization levels.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured to generate one or more signals to facilitate at least one of entrance or exit of the one or more objects into or from the one or more spaces at least partly in response to one or more comparisons of the one or more sterilization statuses associated with the one or more objects to the one or more sterilization levels associated with the one or more spaces comprises:

circuitry configured to generate one or more signals to facilitate at least one of entrance or exit of the one or more objects into or from the one or more spaces at least partly in response to one or more comparisons of the one or more sterilization statuses associated with the one or more objects to the one or more sterilization levels associated with the one or more spaces indicating compliance of the one or more sterilization statuses with the one or more sterilization levels.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry configured to generate one or more signals associated with one or more alert units.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry configured to generate one or more signals associated with one or more recording units.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry configured to generate one or more signals associated with one or more sterilization units.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured to compare one or more sterilization statuses associated with one or more objects to one or more sterilization levels associated with one or more spaces comprises:

circuitry configured to compare one or more sterilization statuses associated with one or more objects to one or more sterilization levels associated with one or more rooms to determine whether the one or more sterilization statuses associated with the one or more objects meets or exceeds the one or more sterilization levels associated with the one or more rooms.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry configured for changing the one or more sterilization statuses associated with the one or more objects based at least partly on one or more criteria.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry configured for changing the one or more sterilization levels associated with the one or more spaces based at least partly on one or more criteria.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured to compare one or more sterilization statuses associated with one or more objects to one or more sterilization levels associated with one or more spaces comprises:

circuitry configured to compare one or more sterilization statuses associated with one or more objects to one or more sterilization levels associated with one or more spaces to determine if the one or more sterilization statues are outside one or more compliance ranges associated with the one or more sterilization levels.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured to generate one or more signals to facilitate at least one of entrance or exit of the one or more objects into or from the one or more spaces at least partly in response to one or more comparisons of the one or more sterilization statuses associated with the one or more objects to the one or more sterilization levels associated with the one or more spaces comprises:

circuitry configured to generate one or more signals to facilitate at least one of entrance or exit of the one or more objects into or from the one or more spaces at least partly in response to one or more comparisons of the one or more sterilization statuses associated with the one or more objects to the one or more sterilization levels associated with the one or more spaces indicating non-compliance of the one or more sterilization statuses with the one or more sterilization levels.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry configured for monitoring the one or more sterilization statuses associated with the one or more objects.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry configured for tracking movement of the one or more objects.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured to compare one or more sterilization statuses associated with one or more objects to one or more sterilization levels associated with one or more spaces comprises:

circuitry configured to compare one or more sterilization statuses associated with one or more objects to one or more sterilization levels associated with one or more spaces to determine whether the one or more sterilization statuses are equal to or above one or more values associated with the one or more sterilization levels.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is at least partly incorporated in one or more of the following:

bracelet, ring, card, necklace, or badge.

18. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry configured for associating the one or more sterilization statuses with the one or more objects based at least partly on one or more of the following criteria;

object identity, length of time since sterilized, type of sterilizing agent used, number of uses, purpose of use, or type of contamination exposed.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured to compare one or more sterilization statuses associated with one or more objects to one or more sterilization levels associated with one or more spaces comprises:

circuitry configured to compare one or more sterilization statuses associated with one or more objects and defined with respect to at least one relative scale to one or more sterilization levels associated with one or more spaces.

20. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry configured for associating the one or more sterilization levels with the one or more spaces based at least partly on one or more of the following criteria;

length of time since sterilized, type of sterilizing agent used, number of uses, purpose of use, or type of contamination exposed.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured to compare one or more sterilization statuses associated with one or more objects to one or more sterilization levels associated with one or more spaces comprises:

circuitry configured to compare one or more sterilization statuses associated with one or more objects to one or more sterilization levels associated with one or more spaces and defined with respect to at least one relative scale.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured to compare one or more sterilization statuses associated with one or more objects to one or more sterilization levels associated with one or more spaces comprises:

circuitry configured to compare one or more sterilization statuses associated with one or more objects to one or more sterilization levels associated with one or more of the following types of spaces;

hospital, pharmaceutical production facility, food preparation facility, food packaging facility, dental office, medical office, operating room, veterinary clinic, medical examination room, human body, or waiting room.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured to compare one or more sterilization statuses associated with one or more objects to one or more sterilization levels associated with one or more spaces comprises:

circuitry configured to compare one or more sterilization statuses associated with one or more of the following types of objects to one or more sterilization levels associated with one or more spaces;

food container, utensil, food service worker, pharmaceutical packaging, pharmaceutical worker, machinery, gloves, medical instrument, dental instrument, container, tool, food, human, animal, part of human, or hospital equipment.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured to generate one or more signals to facilitate at least one of entrance or exit of the one or more objects into or from the one or more spaces at least partly in response to one or more comparisons of the one or more sterilization statuses associated with the one or more objects to the one or more sterilization levels associated with the one or more spaces comprises:

circuitry configured to generate one or more signals to facilitate exit of the one or more objects from the one or more spaces based at least partly on the one or more sterilization statuses associated with the one or more objects being less than the one or more sterilization levels associated with the one or more spaces.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured to generate one or more signals to facilitate at least one of entrance or exit of the one or more objects into or from the one or more spaces at least partly in response to one or more comparisons of the one or more sterilization statuses associated with the one or more objects to the one or more sterilization levels associated with the one or more spaces comprises:

circuitry configured to generate one or more signals to facilitate exit of the one or more objects from the one or more spaces based at least partly on the one or more sterilization statuses associated with the one or more objects being greater than the one or more sterilization levels associated with the one or more spaces.

27. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured to generate one or more signals to facilitate at least one of entrance or exit of the one or more objects into or from the one or more spaces at least partly in response to one or more comparisons of the one or more sterilization statuses associated with the one or more objects to the one or more sterilization levels associated with the one or more spaces comprises:

circuitry configured to generate one or more signals to prohibit entrance of the one or more objects into the one or more spaces based at least partly on the one or more sterilization statuses associated with the one or more objects being greater than the one or more sterilization levels associated with the one or more spaces.

28. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured to generate one or more signals to facilitate at least one of entrance or exit of the one or more objects into or from the one or more spaces at least partly in response to one or more comparisons of the one or more sterilization statuses associated with the one or more objects to the one or more sterilization levels associated with the one or more spaces comprises:

circuitry configured to generate one or more signals to prohibit entrance of the one or more objects into the one or more spaces based at least partly on the one or more sterilization statuses associated with the one or more objects being less than the one or more sterilization levels associated with the one or more spaces.

29. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured to generate one or more signals to facilitate at least one of entrance or exit of the one or more objects into or from the one or more spaces at least partly in response to one or more comparisons of the one or more sterilization statuses associated with the one or more objects to the one or more sterilization levels associated with the one or more spaces comprises:

circuitry configured to generate one or more signals to facilitate entrance of the one or more objects into the one or more spaces based at least partly on the one or more sterilization statuses associated with the one or more objects being greater than the one or more sterilization levels associated with the one or more spaces.

30. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured to generate one or more signals to facilitate at least one of entrance or exit of the one or more objects into or from the one or more spaces at least partly in response to one or more comparisons of the one or more sterilization statuses associated with the one or more objects to the one or more sterilization levels associated with the one or more spaces comprises:

circuitry configured to generate one or more signals to facilitate entrance of the one or more objects into the one or more spaces based at least partly on the one or more sterilization statuses associated with the one or more objects being less than the one or more sterilization levels associated with the one or more spaces.

31. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured to generate one or more signals to facilitate at least one of entrance or exit of the one or more objects into or from the one or more spaces at least partly in response to one or more comparisons of the one or more sterilization statuses associated with the one or more objects to the one or more sterilization levels associated with the one or more spaces comprises:

circuitry configured to generate one or more signals including at least one alert to facilitate at least one of entrance or exit of the one or more objects into or from the one or more spaces at least partly in response to one or more comparisons of the one or more sterilization statuses associated with the one or more objects to the one or more sterilization levels associated with the one or more spaces.

24. A system comprising:

at least one comparing unit configured to compare one or more sterilization statuses associated with one or more objects to one or more sterilization levels associated with one or more spaces; and

at least one responding unit configured to generate one or more signals to facilitate at least one of entrance or exit of the one or more objects into or from the one or more spaces at least partly in response to one or more comparisons of the one or more sterilization statuses associated with the one or more objects to the one or more sterilization levels associated with the one or more spaces.