System for sensing and recording consumption of medical items during medical procedure

US9922304B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• DeRoyal Industries, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Brian C. DeBusk · Knoxville, US
• Mary E. Kaylor · Chattanooga, US
• Gerald T. Griffith · Knoxville, US
• Timothy J. Waggoner · Ringgold, US
• Jeffrey D. Griffith · Knoxville, US
• Angela M. Sewell · Knoxville, US
• John G. Jacobs · Knoxville, US
• Rex A. Hurd · Knoxville, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 2, 2014
• Grant date: Mar 20, 2018
• Expiry date: Oct 30, 2036

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B65F2210/138
• WIPO field: IT methods for management
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

An apparatus senses and records consumption of medical items during performance of a medical procedure. The medical items are enclosed in wrappers having RFID tags in which medical item information is encoded. The apparatus includes a shielded enclosure that attenuates radio frequency signals emanated from RFID tags disposed outside the shielded enclosure to levels that are substantially undetectable within the internal space. RFID antennas inside the shielded enclosure receive radio frequency signals emanated from RFID tags on wrappers that are removed from used items and placed inside the enclosure. An RFID reader decodes the medical item information encoded in the RFID tags. A computer processor executes a medical item inventory module including instructions for generating a post-op list of medical items consumed during the medical procedure. Item billing information and usage trend information may be derived from the post-op list. Also, Latex alerts and item expiration alerts may be generated based on information encoded in the RFID tags.