System for Sensing and Recording Consumption of Medical Items During Medical Procedure

摘要

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.

主权项

1. An apparatus for sensing and recording consumption of medical items during performance of a medical procedure, wherein the medical items are at least initially enclosed in wrappers having RFID tags disposed in or on the wrappers, wherein medical item information regarding the medical items is encoded in the RFID tags, the apparatus comprising:
a shielded enclosure having an internal space for receiving the wrappers of the medical items, the shielded enclosure configured to attenuate radio frequency signals emanated from RFID tags disposed outside the shielded enclosure to levels that are substantially undetectable within the internal space; one or more RFID antennas disposed within the internal space of the shielded enclosure, the one or more RFID antennas for receiving radio frequency signals emanated from RFID tags attached to the wrappers disposed within the internal space, wherein the radio frequency signals contain the medical item information encoded in the RFID tags; at least one RFID reader electrically connected to the one or more RFID antennas, the at least one RFID reader for decoding the medical item information contained in the radio frequency signals emanated from the RFID tags; and a computer in electrical communication with the at least one RFID reader, the computer having a processor for executing a medical item inventory module comprising instructions for receiving the medical item information decoded by the at least one RFID reader and generating a post-op used-item list of medical items consumed during the medical procedure based on the medical item information encoded in the RFID tags attached to a used set of wrappers disposed in the internal space of the shielded enclosure.