Apparatus, Method, and System for Counting Packaged, Consumable, Medical Items Such as Surgical Suture Cartridges

摘要

The present invention is directed to a method, system, and apparatus for tracking the use, waste, and/or other characteristics of consumable medical items (e.g., surgical sutures) that are used during surgery. In one version of the invention, a sterile, disposable apparatus, denominated as a “landing pad,” is used to receive and position relative to one another: (1) an electronic device capable of taking digital images; and (2) the item being imaged (such as a sterile suture cartridge). The landing pad positions the electronic device and consumable medical item for digital imaging of the medical item. The resulting digital image is processed to identify a database record matching the imaged medical item. The identified record is then used to provide information about the imaged medical item (e.g., the count of individual surgical sutures contained in an imaged sterile suture cartridge). The information can be used for a variety of purposes, including, for example, an accurate accounting of all surgical sutures passed into the sterile field of an operating room for a scheduled surgery.

主权项

1. A landing pad comprising:
a base configured to receive and position a sterile suture cartridge; a bracket configured to receive and position an electronic device that includes a camera and a touch screen, the bracket including an opening configured to align with the electronic device's camera so that the camera has a clear line of sight to the sterile suture cartridge; a support having opposing ends, wherein one end of the support is attached to the base, and wherein the other end of the support is attached to the bracket; wherein the combination of the base, bracket, and support position the electronic device and sterile suture cartridge in a spaced-apart relationship for digital imaging of the sterile suture cartridge by the electronic device.