System for sensing and recording information regarding medical items in a medical facility

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10152688-B2
Application number	US-201414587424-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 31, 2014
Priority date	May 15, 2014
Publication date	Dec 11, 2018
Grant date	Dec 11, 2018

Abstract

An apparatus tracks medical items through various transition points in a medical facility and maintains a chain of custody for each item through each transition point, indicating who is responsible for each item at any particular time. The apparatus also generates messages directed to various medical facility personnel who are responsible for the medical items at the various transition points, which messages prompt the personnel to take appropriate action with regard to the medical items depending on the particular transition point.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for tracking custody of medical items in a supply and consumption chain, wherein each medical item has an RFID tag attached thereto that encodes medical item information specific to the medical item, wherein the medical items are initially collected together as a shipment of medical items, and wherein the shipment has a packing list packaged therewith and the packing list has a shipment identifier attached thereto that encodes shipment identification information specific to the shipment, the apparatus comprising:
one or more first reading devices disposed in an area of a medical facility at which the shipment of the medical items is received, the one or more first reading devices for reading the shipment identifier attached to the packing list and decoding the shipment identification information encoded in the shipment identifier, the one or more first reading devices further for reading a first personnel identifier that identifies a person responsible for receiving the shipment of medical items in the area of the medical facility at which the shipment of the medical items is received;
one or more first RFID antennas disposed in a supply room in the medical facility, the one or more first RFID antennas for receiving first radio frequency signals emanated from the RFID tags attached to the medical items in the shipment after the medical items have been brought into the supply room, wherein the first radio frequency signals contain the medical item information encoded in the RFID tags attached to the medical items;
one or more first RFID readers associated with the supply room of the medical facility and electrically connected to the one or more first RFID antennas, the one or more first RFID readers for decoding the medical item information contained in the first radio frequency signals emanated from the RFID tags attached to the medical items;
one or more second reading devices associated with the supply room of the medical facility, the one or more second reading devices for reading at least the shipment identifier attached to the packing list and decoding the shipment identification information encoded in the shipment identifier, the one or more second reading devices further for reading a second personnel identifier that identifies a person responsible for placing the medical items into inventory at the medical facility;
a medical facility inventory computer in electrical communication with the one or more first reading devices, the one or more first RFID readers, and the one or more second reading devices, the medical facility inventory computer programmed to receive the shipment identification information, the medical item information, the first personnel identifier, the second personnel identifier, and a supply room identifier that identifies the supply room into which the medical items are placed into inventory; and
a medical item inventory database in electrical communication with the medical facility inventory computer, the medical item inventory database for associating at least the shipment identification information with the first personnel identifier, the second personnel identifier, and the supply room identifier,
wherein the medical facility inventory computer is programmed to automatically generate one or both of a first message directed to the person identified by the first personnel identifier and a second message directed to the person identified by the second personnel identifier, the generation of the first message triggered by the shipment identification information becoming associated with the first personnel identifier, and the second message triggered by the shipment identification information becoming associated with the second personnel identifier, wherein the first and second messages prompt the person to whom they are directed to take some action with regard to the shipment of medical items.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the shipment identifier comprises an RFID tag attached to the packing list, and wherein the one or more first reading devices include an RFID reader.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the one or more second reading device comprise one of the one or more first RFID readers associated with the supply room.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the medical facility inventory computer is operable to automatically associate the supply room identifier with the medical item information of the medical items in the shipment, wherein the association is triggered by the shipment identifier being read by the one or more second reading devices.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the medical item inventory database maintains a chain of custody of the medical items in the shipment based on cross-referencing the shipment identification information with the first personnel identifier and the second personnel identifier.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
a supply room portal having:
a portal opening; and
one or more second RFID antennas having fields of view directed to the portal opening, the one or more second RFID antennas for receiving second radio frequency signals emanated from RFID tags attached to medical items that pass through the portal based on the medical items being picked for removal from the supply room to be used in a medical procedure; and

a second RFID reader electrically connected to the one or more second RFID antennas of the supply room portal, the second RFID reader for decoding the medical item information contained in the second radio frequency signals emanated from the RFID tags;
the medical facility inventory computer being programmed to automatically associate a third personnel identifier with the medical item information contained in the second radio frequency signals, wherein the association is triggered by the RFID tags on the medical items in the shipment being detected by the second RFID reader, and wherein the third personnel identifier identifies a person responsible for removal of the medical items from the supply room.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the medical item inventory database maintains a chain of custody of the medical items in the shipment based on cross-referencing the medical item information contained in the second radio frequency signals with the third personnel identifier.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the medical facility inventory computer is operable to automatically generate a third message directed to the person responsible for removal of the medical items from the supply room, the generation of the third message triggered by the medical item information contained in the second radio frequency signals becoming associated with the third personnel identifier, wherein the third message prompts the person to whom it is directed to take some action with regard to the medical items that have been removed or are to be removed from the supply room.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
a procedure room portal having:
a portal opening; and
one or more third RFID antennas having fields of view directed to the portal opening, the one or more third RFID antennas for receiving third radio frequency signals emanated from RFID tags attached to medical items that pass through the procedure room portal when the medical items are brought into a medical procedure room to be used in a medical procedure; and

a third RFID reader electrically connected to the one or more third RFID antennas of the procedure room portal, the third RFID reader for decoding the medical item information contained in the third radio frequency signals emanated from the RFID tags;
the medical facility inventory computer being programmed to automatically associate a fourth personnel identifier with the medical it

Assignees

• Deroyal Ind Inc

Inventors

• Debusk Brian C
• Kaylor Mary E
• Griffith Gerald T
• Waggoner Timothy J
• Griffith Jeffrey D
• Sewell Angela M
• Jacobs John G
• Hurd Rex A

Classifications

• G06K7/10316

  using at least one antenna particularly designed for interrogating the wireless record carriers (antennas in general H01Q1/22) · CPC title

• G16H40/20

  for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms · CPC title

• G06Q10/087 Primary

  Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders · CPC title

• G06F19/328

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06Q50/22

  Social work or social welfare, e.g. community support activities or counselling services · CPC title