Relocation module and methods for surgical equipment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10869800-B2
Application number	US-202016879406-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2020
Priority date	Mar 26, 2018
Publication date	Dec 22, 2020
Grant date	Dec 22, 2020

Abstract

An anesthetic equipment storage and waste air management module configured to housing electronic and electromechanical surgical equipment including a system to measure and record administration of one or more IV medications or fluids for IV administration. The module can include a housing having a lower section and a tower-like upper section, wherein the lower section is configured to house unrelated waste heat-producing electronic and electromechanical surgical equipment. The module can also include a cowling that substantially confines waste heat generated by the unrelated waste heat-producing electronic and electromechanical surgical equipment, and can include a system for measuring and recording the administration of the one or more IV medications and fluids.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A module for housing unrelated electronic and electromechanical surgical equipment including a system to measure and record administration of one or more IV medications or fluids for IV administration, the module comprising:
a housing having a lower section and a tower-like upper section, wherein the lower section is configured to house unrelated waste heat-producing electronic and electromechanical surgical equipment, and wherein the tower-like upper section is located on top of the lower section, wherein the upper section is configured to accommodate mounting of equipment controls, display screens and monitor screens at a convenient height for viewing and operating;
a cowling that substantially confines waste heat generated by the unrelated waste heat-producing electronic and electromechanical surgical equipment; and
a system for measuring and recording the administration of the one or more IV medications and fluids, the system comprising:
a barcode reader or an RFID interrogator configured to identify at least one of the one or more IV medications or fluids; and
a machine vision digital camera in electrical communication with processing circuitry configured to determine a volume of medication administered from a syringe or fluid administered from an IV bag through an IV drip chamber into an IV tubing based on an image generated by the machine vision digital camera.

2. The module of claim 1 , the system to measure and record the administration of the one or more IV medications or fluids further comprising:
an injection portal; and
one or more orienting members, wherein the injection portal includes an injection port that is configured to be in fluid communication with the IV tubing and the one or more orienting members are configured to guide syringes of varying diameters to mate with the injection port within the injection portal.

3. The module of claim 2 , wherein the system to measure and record the administration of the one or more IV medications or fluids further comprises:
a display in electrical communication with the machine vision digital camera, wherein the machine vision digital camera is configured to capture an image of a syringe when the syringe is inserted inside the injection portal, and wherein the display is configured to output a visual image or representation of the syringe.

4. The module of claim 2 , wherein the machine vision digital camera is located to capture an image of an inside of the injection portal, and wherein the processing circuitry is configured to interpret the image of a syringe when the syringe is inserted into the injection portal to measure the volume of medication injected from the syringe by determining a size and an internal diameter of the syringe and measuring a distance a plunger of the syringe moves to calculate an injected volume.

5. The module of claim 1 , wherein the RFID interrogator is configured to identify at least one of the one or more IV medications or fluids for IV administration that has been labeled with an RFID tag.

6. The module of claim 1 , wherein the machine vision digital camera that is in electrical communication with the processing circuitry is configured to read a barcode to identify a medication or fluid for IV administration that has been labeled with a barcode.

7. The module of claim 1 , wherein the system to measure and record the administration of the one or more IV medications or fluids further comprises:
a display in electrical communication with the machine vision digital camera, wherein the display is configured to output medication and fluid identification and injection information including one or more of: a brand name of a drug, a generic name of a drug, a concentration of a drug, a dosage of a drug, a dosage delivered, a fluid flow rate, a fluid volume delivered, a patient allergy, an alert for over-dosing, an alert for a drug allergy and an alert for drug interactions on the display.

8. The module of claim 7 , wherein the system to measure and record the administration of the one or more IV medications or fluids further comprises or is in electrical communication with one or more of: an electronic anesthetic record (EAR) and an electronic medical record (EMR), and wherein the system automatically records at least some of the administration of the one or more IV medications in one or both of the (EAR) and the (EMR).

9. The module of claim 2 , wherein the system to measure and record the administration of the one or more IV medications or fluids further comprises:
a mechanical clamp configured to clamp the IV tubing, the mechanical clamp positioned upstream or downstream from the injection port, wherein the mechanical clamp can be automatically actuated to mechanically compress the IV tubing to stop the administration of the one or more IV medications or fluids when an adverse condition is determined by the processing circuitry.

10. The module of claim 2 , wherein the injection portal includes one or more UV lights that shine on the injection port.

11. The module of claim 1 , wherein the machine vision digital camera is located adjacent to the IV drip chamber, and wherein the processing circuitry is configured to interpret the image of drops in the IV drip chamber and determine a volume of fluid flowing from the IV bag by determining a size of drops and a number of drops per unit time to calculate a fluid flow rate.

12. The module of claim 1 , wherein the system to measure and record the administration of the one or more IV medications or fluids further comprises:
a hanger configured to support an IV bag; and
an electronic scale in electrical communication with a processor, wherein the electronic scale is configured to measure a combined weight of the IV bag, the IV drip chamber, the IV tubing and the fluids in the IV bag, and wherein the processor is configured to determine a reduction in the measured combined weight over time to determine the weight of the IV fluids infused over time and convert the measured combined weight over time to a fluid flow rate and an infused fluid volume.

13. The module of claim 1 , wherein the system to measure and record the administration of the one or more IV medications or fluids further comprises:
a hanger configured to receive the IV bag;
an electronic scale in electrical communication with a processor, wherein the hanger is configured to support the IV bag; and
a float located in the IV drip chamber,
wherein the machine vision digital camera is located adjacent to the IV drip chamber, and wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine a volume of fluid flowing from the IV bag by determining a size of drops and a number of the drops per unit time to calculate a fluid flow rate,
wherein the electronic scale is configured to measure a combined weight of the IV bag, the IV drip chamber, the IV tubing and the fluid in the IV bag, and wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine a reduction in the measured combined weight over time to determine a weight of the IV fluids infused over time and convert the measured combined weight over time to a fluid flow rate and infused fluid volume,
wherein at higher flow rates, when the drops in the IV drip chamber coalesce into a fluid stream that is un-interpretable by the machine vision camera and processing circuitry, the fluid stream causes a float in the IV drip chamber to move indicating that fluid is flowing, and
wherein when the system fails to identify individual drops and detects that the float is moving, the processing circuitry is configured to measure a fluid flow rate by determining a reduction of the combined weight of the IV bag,

Assignees

• Augustine Biomedical Design Llc

Inventors

• Augustine Scott D
• Augustine Susan D
• Augustine Garrett J
• Augustine Brent M
• Augustine Ryan S
• Arnold Randall C

Classifications

• A61G13/108 Primary

  Means providing sterile air at a surgical operation table or area (treatment rooms A61G10/00; instruments or implements for sterile operation A61B90/00; sterilisation of air A61L9/00; purification of air in air-conditioning systems F24F3/16, F24F8/00) · CPC title

• A61M2205/6045

  having complementary physical shapes for indexing or registration purposes · CPC title

• A61B90/50

  Supports for surgical instruments, e.g. articulated arms · CPC title

• A61M16/18

  Vaporising devices for anaesthetic preparations · CPC title

• A61B50/13

  Trolleys{, e.g. carts} · CPC title