Dispensing system for medical items
US5971593A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 26, 1998 |
| Grant date | Oct 26, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 26, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG07F17/0092
- WIPO fieldControl
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A system for monitoring and dispensing medical items includes a plurality of hook registers (10). Each of the hook registers includes sensors (48, 60, 62, 64) sensing the removal or addition of a medical item to the storage location on the hook register. Each hook register has a microprocessor (66) connected to the sensor which stores a count of the items added or removed from the location. The microprocessor also includes location identifying information specifically associated with the particular hook register. The microprocessor is periodically polled by a controller (72) which reads and stores the count and location identifying information from each of the hook registers. The controller information is periodically read by a data terminal (76) which is connected through a local area network (82) to a remote computer (84) having a processor and data store. A user of the data terminal is enabled to specify a patient for whom medical items will be used when the items are removed from the hook registers or other storage locations. In addition, the system also monitors inventories of items and levels of usage by users. The system also monitors and controls the dispense of other medic…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.