Integrated Drug Traceability System in Hospital Pharmacies

Description

BE2025 / 5002 2 DocumentJP2024029772Adisclosesasystemdesignedtofacilitatethesharing ofmedicationsamongauthorizedusers.Thissystemaimstooptimizemedicationdistribution, reducewaste,andensurethatpatientshavetimelyaccesstonecessarytreatments.It incorporatessecuredatamanagementprotocolstomaintainpatientconfidentialityand complywithrelevantregulations.Thesystem'sarchitectureincludesuserauthentication5 mechanisms,inventorytracking,andcommunicationinterfacestocoordinatethetransferof medicationsbetweenparties.Byleveragingthesecomponents,thesystemseekstoenhance theefficiencyandeffectivenessofmedicationsharingpracticeswithinhealthcarenetworks. DocumentUS2008288294A1describesapublishergatewaysystemdesignedto10 facilitatecollaborativedataexchange,collection,monitoring,andalertingamongmultiple entities.Thesystemenablesthesecureandefficientdistributionofinformationthrougha centralgateway,allowingpublisherstosharedatawithsubscriberswhileimplementingconfigurableaccesscontrols,notificationmechanisms,anddatamanagementtools.This technologyaddressestheneedforastreamlined,scalablesolutionformanagingreal-time15 datainteractionsinenvironmentsrequiringhighlevelsofsecurity,customization,and responsiveness,suchashealthcare,finance,andsupplychainmanagement. DocumentUS2017132734A1addressesthecomplexitiesinvolvedinassembling andmanagingpharmacykits,whicharecollectionsofmedicalitemspreparedforspecific20 medicalproceduresortreatments.Theinventionintroducesasystemandmethodthatutilize multipleacceptancecriteriatoevaluateandmanagedifferentsegmentsofpharmacykits, ensuringthateachsegmentmeetspredefinedstandardsbeforeinclusioninthefinalkit.This approachaimstoenhancetheaccuracyandefficiencyofpharmacykitassembly,thereby improvingpatientsafetyandoperationaleffectivenessinmedicalsettings.25 DocumentWO2009006729A1addressesthechallengesassociatedwith accuratelyadministeringmedicationdosesandeffectivelymanagingmedicationinventories.Itintroducesasystemdesignedtoensureprecisemedicationdispensingwhile maintainingcomprehensiveinventoryrecords.Thissystemaimstoenhancepatientsafetyby30 reducingmedicationerrorsandstreamlininginventorycontrolprocesses,therebyimproving overallhealthcaredelivery. Unfortunately,asobservedbytheinventors,thecompletetraceabilityof medications,asrequiredbypatientsafetyregulations,facessignificantchallengesdueto35 inadequaciesinexistingsolutions.Thesechallengesarisefromthewidevarietyofmedication 2025 / 5002 BE2025 / 5002 3 formats,thetechnologicallimitationsofcurrentdevicessuchasscannersandconnected displays,andthefragmentednatureofsoftwaresystems.Thesedeficienciesleadtoissues withcost,efficiency,ergonomics,softwarecompatibility,anddatareliability.Consequently, thereisaclearneedforacomprehensive,ergonomic,andadaptablesolutionthatcan accommodatediversemedicationformats,deliverreliableandautomatedtraceability,and5 integrateseamlesslywithexistinghospitalinformationsystems.Thishighlightsaneedformoreadvancedsolutionsthatofferenhanced usability,real-timedatacommunication,andcomprehensiveintegrationwithhospital workflows.10 Briefsummaryoftheinvention Thepresentinventionrelatestoaninnovativesystemdesignedtoenhancethe traceabilityofmedicationsinhospitalpharmacies.Thissolutioncombineshardwareand15 softwarecomponentstomeetthestringentregulatoryrequirementsimposedbyauthorities whileaddressingthepracticalchallengesencounteredinhospitalenvironments.More specifically,theinventionissetinacontextwheremedicationtraceabilityiscriticalforpatient safety,ensuringthateverydispensedmedicationcanbeaccuratelytrackedfromitsreceipt toitsadministration.20 Accordingtotheinventioninafirstaspect,thisobjectissolvedbythesystem accordingtothefirstclaimformanagingandenhancingtraceabilityofmedicalitemswithin hospitalenvironments,thesystemcomprisingoperativelylinkeddevicesandmodules comprising:25 -anergonomichandheldscanningdeviceconfiguredtocaptureidentificationdatathroughadataencodingpatternonthemedicalitems; -aconnectionmoduleconfiguredtoestablishandmanageacommunicationlink betweenthesystemandanexternalplatform; -asynchronisationmoduleconfiguredtocommunicatewiththeexternalplatform30 comprisinganenterpriseresourceplanning,ERP,systemforexchangingmedication distributionlists; -asoftwaremoduleconfiguredtocontinuouslyperformingthemutualdependent stepsof: ogeneratingasetofinstructionsbasedonthedistributionlists;and35 2025 / 5002 BE2025 / 5002 4 omappingtheidentificationdatatothedistributionliststherebyupdatingthe setofinstructionsand / orthedistributionlists; -astoragemoduleconfiguredtostoreand / orobtaintheidentificationdata,the medicationdistributionlistswhenexchanged,andthesetofinstructions;and -adisplaydeviceforprovidingoperationalguidancetoauserbasedonthesetof5 instructions; whereinthesoftwaremoduleisfurtherconfiguredtoactivatethesynchronisationmodule whentheconnectionmoduleestablishesthecommunicationlink.Theinventionpertainstothefieldofhospitalpharmaceuticalmanagement,10 withaparticularfocusonensuringthetraceabilityofmedicinesandmedicaldevices.It addressestheneedforassistedtraceabilitysystemsthatcombineergonomicdevicesand specializedsoftwaretoproviderigorousandcompliantmonitoringofmedicineswithin hospitalsettings.Theinventionisspecificallydesignedtoenablecompletetraceabilityof medicines,coveringtheentireprocessfromtheirreceiptinhospitalpharmaciestotheir15 deliverytopatients.Tothisend,theinventionisbasedonthreekeycomponents:an ergonomichandheldscanningdevice,aconnecteddisplaydevice,andasoftwaremodule configuredtointeroperatewithahospital'sERPsystem,therebyworkingtogethertoprovide aseamlessandintuitivetraceabilitysolution.Furthermore,itcomprisesamodulecompatible withhospitalinformationsystems,andcommunicationtechnologiessuchasWi-Fi,Bluetooth,20 and5G. Forthisobjective,thesystemcomprisesasetofoperativelylinkeddevicesandmodulesthatworkinunisontoachieveseamlessfunctionalityandinteroperability.Each deviceandmodulearedesignedtoperformspecifictaskswhilesharingdataand25 commandswithothercomponentsthroughstandardizedand / ortailormadecommunication protocols.Thisarchitectureenablesreal-timedataexchange,andefficienttaskexecution, ensuringoptimalperformance.Themodulardesignallowsforscalabilityandadaptability, accommodatingfutureupgradesorintegrationswithoutdisruptingtheoverallsystem. Together,theseinterconnectedelementscreateacohesivesolutiontailoredtomeetthe30 operationalrequirementsformanagingandenhancingtraceabilityofmedicalitemswithin hospitalenvironments. Theergonomichandheldscanningdeviceisspecificallydesignedtocapture identificationdataencodedonmedicalitemsviaadataencodingpattern,suchas35 barcodes,QRcodes,orRFIDtags.Preferably,theGS1standard,whichgovernsbarcodes 2025 / 5002 BE2025 / 5002 5 anddatamatrixcodes,isutilizedtoensurethattraceabilitydataisconsistentandadherestointernationalstandards,facilitatingtheexchangeandmanagementofinformationacross variousEuropeanhealthcaresystems.Thisframeworkensuresthatthesystemcanadaptto thelocalrequirementsofeachEuropeancountrywhilemaintainingcompliancewith commonstandards.NotethattheGS1standardisagloballyrecognizedframeworkthat5 establishesasetofuniqueidentificationcodes,dataformats,andcommunicationprotocols toenableefficientandconsistentidentification,capture,andsharingofinformation. Aswillbefurtherexplained,theergonomichardwaredevices,suchasthe ergonomichandheldscanningdevice,aredesignedtoenhancethecomfortandefficiency10 ofoperatorsworkinginoftendemandingenvironments,suchashospitals.Thehandled scanningdeviceisforexampleahands-freescanner,attachedtothehand,andthedisplay devicearespecificallydevelopedforprolongedusewithoutcausingexcessivefatigue. Lightweightandmodular,thesedevicescanbeeasilyadjustedtosuitdifferentoperators, ensuringhighproductivitywithoutcompromisingcomfort.15Theergonomichandheldscanningdevice,orinshortscanner,isdesignedto berobustandefficientinconditionswheremedicationsmustbehandledquickly.Its lightweightconstructionallowsforcontinuoususeoverseveralhourswithoutburdeningthe operator,whileensuringfastandreliablecaptureoftraceabilitydata.Theconnected20 display,ontheotherhand,providesseamlessanddiscreetinteraction,enablingoperatorsto viewinformationwithoutdivertingtheirattentionfrommanualtasks. Engineeredforeaseofuseinhigh-pressureenvironmentslikehospitals,the devicefeaturesanergonomicdesigntoreduceuserfatigueduringprolongeduse.Its25 advancedscanningcapabilitiesallowfortherapidandaccuratedecodingofdata encodingpatterns,evenundersuboptimalconditionssuchaslowlightingorwhendealing withpartiallyobscuredlabels.Thedeviceintegratesseamlesslywiththebroadersystem, transmittingcapturedidentificationdatatoasoftwaremoduleforprocessingandmapping topredefineddistributionlists.Thisfacilitatesefficienttrackingandmanagementofmedical30items,enhancingtraceabilityandensuringcompliancewithregulatorystandardswhile improvingoverallworkflowefficiencyinhealthcaresettings. Theconnectionmoduleisakeycomponentofthesystem,designedto establishandmanagearobustcommunicationlinkbetweenthesystemandanexternal35 platform.Thismodulefacilitatesseamlessdataexchangebyensuringsecureandreliable 2025 / 5002 BE2025 / 5002 6 connectivity,enablingreal-timesynchronisationofinformation.Itdynamicallyadaptsto networkconditions,prioritizingcriticaldatatransmissions,suchasstatusupdatesoressential operationalmessages,overlesstime-sensitivecommunicationsaswillbeexplained. Additionally,theconnectionmodulesupportsvariouscommunicationprotocols,suchasWi- FiandBluetoothandothertypesofcommunicationtechnologies,ensuringcompatibilitywith5 awiderangeofenvironments.Itsbuilt-inerrordetectionandrecoverymechanismsenhance systemreliability,minimizingdisruptionsandensuringthatthecommunicationlinkremains activeandefficient,evenunderchallengingnetworkconditions.Thesynchronisationmoduleisconfiguredtoestablishseamlesscommunication10 withanexternalplatform,comprisinganenterpriseresourceplanning(ERP)system,to facilitatetheexchangeofmedicationdistributionlists.AnERPsysteminahospital environmentisanintegratedsoftwareplatformdesignedtomanageandstreamlinecore healthcareoperationssuchaspatientmanagement,medicalbilling,supplychain,human resources,andfinancialadministration.Thesystemisdesignedtomanageandoptimizethe15 distributionlistfunctionalitywithintheERP.Thesynchronisationmoduleensuresdata synchronisation,eitherrealtimeornot,bysecurelytransmittingandreceivingdistributionlist updatesbetweenthelocalsystemandtheERPplatform.Byleveragingpredefinedprotocols, thesynchronisationmodulemaintainstheintegrityandaccuracyoftheexchangeddata, ensuringthattheERPsystemreflectsthelatestmedicationallocationsandadjustments.20 Additionally,themodulecanprioritizecriticalupdates,suchasstatusmessages,overroutinedataexchanges,enablingefficientresourcemanagementandenhancingtraceability withinhospitaloperations. ThesoftwareintegratedintotheERPsystemenablesseamlessmanagementof25 medicationtraceabilityanddistributionoperations,directlyinterfacingwithEHR(Electronic HealthRecord)systems. Next,thesoftwaremoduleisdesignedtodynamicallygenerateasetof instructionsbasedonthedistributionlists,ensuringthattheappropriateactionsandguidance30 canbegiventoauser.Itfurtherenhancesfunctionalitybymappingtheidentificationdata tothesedistributionlists,therebyensuringaccuracyandrelevance.Mappingreferstothe processofdefiningandestablishingrelationshipsorcorrespondencesbetweentwosetsof data,entities,orstructures,thusinthiscasetheidentificationdataandthedistributionlists. Thismappingprocessenablesthemoduletoautomaticallyupdatethesetofinstructionsas35 distributionlistsoridentificationdatachange,maintainingreal-timealignmentwith 2025 / 5002 BE2025 / 5002 7organizationalneeds.Furthermore,whentheidentificationdataismappedtothedistribution lists,thisimpliesthattasksareperformedbytheuses,eitherpartlyorinfull.Consequently,the distributionlistswillbeupdatedaswelltherebyindicatingwhichtasksareperformed.Inother words,thismappingprocessensuresthateachidentifieditemisaccuratelyassociatedwith theappropriatedistributionlist,facilitatingpreciseallocationandtracking.Byautomating5 theseprocesses,themodulereducesmanualintervention,minimizeserrors,andensuresthat thegeneratedinstructionsremainpreciseandactionable,supportingefficient communicationandtaskexecutionacrossthesystem. Thesystemfurthercomprisesastoragemodulespecificallyconfiguredto10 securelystorecriticaldataandoperationalinstructions.Thismoduleisdesignedtoretain identificationdataassociatedwithmedicalitems,enablingreliabletrackingandtraceability throughouttheprocess.Itstoresand / orobtainsthemedicationdistributionlists,includingthoseexchangedduringsynchronisationprocesses,ensuringthataccurateandup-to-date informationisreadilyaccessibleforseamlessinventorymanagement.Thestoragemodule15 furtherstoresthesetofinstructionswhichiscontinuouslyupdatedduringoperation.The storagemoduleensuresefficient,secure,andconsistentaccesstoinformation,enhancing thereliabilityandfunctionalityoftheoverallsystem.Whenthestoragemoduleobtainsthe identificationdataithasaccesstotheERPdatabasethroughauniversalconnector. 20 Asexplained,thesoftwaremodulegeneratesasetofactionableinstructions, suchasdirectingitemstospecificlocations,initiatingreplenishmentorders,ornotifying relevantpersonnel.Assaid,theseinstructionsaredynamicallyadaptedtoreflectreal-time datachanges,ensuringefficientworkflowmanagementandreducingerrorsindistribution processes.Further,thedisplaydeviceisconfiguredtoprovideoperationalguidancetoauser25 byvisuallypresentingthesesetofinstructionstailoredtotheuser'stasksorenvironment.Thedevicecomprises,forexample,ahigh-resolutionscreencapableofdynamicallydisplaying text,graphics,oranimationsthatguidetheuserthroughspecificprocesses.Preferably,the displaydevicecomprisesaconnectedscreen,suchasasmartwatchoraugmentedreality glasses,allowingreal-timeconsultationofcriticaltraceabilityinformationwithoutinterrupting30 manualtasks.Suchadeviceisdesignedtominimizevisualfatigueandenhanceproductivity whileensuringprolongeduse,withaneight-hourbatterylifeandaweightof,forexample, lessthan60grams. Oneofthesystem’skeyfeaturesisitsabilitytooperateoffline,ensuring35 continuityofoperationsevenintheabsenceofWi-Ficonnectivity,acommonissueinhospital 2025 / 5002 BE2025 / 5002 8 environments.Inthisregard,thesoftwaremoduleisfurtherconfiguredtoactivatethe synchronisationmodulewhentheconnectionmoduleestablishesthecommunicationlink. Thissoftwaremodule’sabilitytoactivatethesynchronisationmoduleuponthe establishmentofthecommunicationlinkbytheconnectionmoduleprovidesseveral5advantages.Thisconfigurationensuresdataconsistencyacrosssystemsbyimmediately triggeringsynchronisationassoonasconnectivityisestablished.Itfurtherensuresthatusers cancontinueworkingwithoutdisruption.Thisseamlessintegrationallowsfordataupdates andsynchronisationinthebackground,meaningusersdonotneedtowaitformanual interventionsorexperiencedelaysinaccessingup-to-dateinformation.Bymaintaining10 uninterruptedworkflows,thesystemenhancesproductivity,reducesdowntime,andensures thatuserscanfocusontheirtaskswhilethesoftwarehandlessynchronisationefficientlyand transparently. Differentlyformulated,thesoftwaremoduleintelligentlyactivatesthe15 synchronisationmodulewhenevertheconnectionmoduleestablishesthecommunication link,enablingreal-timeupdatesanddataexchanges.Together,thesecomponentscreatea robustsystemfortrackingmedicalitems,improvingoperationalefficiency,andensuring compliancewithhospitalworkflowsandregulations. 20 Accordingtoanembodiment,thesoftwaremoduleisfurtherconfiguredtogeneratingastatusupdatemessagebasedontheupdateddistributionlists,andwhereby thesynchronisationmoduleisfurtherconfiguredtotransmitthestatusupdatemessagetothe platformwhentheconnectionmoduleestablishesthecommunicationlink.Preferably,the synchronisationmoduleisfurtherconfiguredtoprioritizethetransmissionofthestatusupdate25 messageovertheexchangingofthedistributionlists. Bygeneratingastatusupdatemessagebasedontheupdateddistributionlists, thesystemensuresthattheexternalplatformispromptlyinformedaboutthecurrentstateof thedistributionprocesswhenthecommunicationlinkisestablished.Thisminimizestherisksof30 outdatedorinaccurateinformationbeingpropagated.Furthermore,thesynchronisation module,configuredtoprioritizethetransmissionofstatusupdatemessagesoverthe exchangeofdistributionlists,offersanotableadvantageinscenarioswherecommunication bandwidthislimitedorwhenthecommunicationlinkisonlyavailableinashorttimeperiod. Byplacingpriorityonstatusupdates,thesystemensuresthatessentialinformationreaches35theplatformwithminimaldelay,fosteringreal-timeresponsivenessandreliability. 2025 / 5002 BE2025 / 5002 9 Thecombinationofthesefeaturesresultsinasystemthatnotonlyensuresup- to-datesynchronisationofdistributionlistsbutalsoaddressestheneedforprioritized,timely communicationofcriticalstatusinformation.Thisdualfunctionalityenhancesthesystem's overalladaptabilityandrobustness. 5 Accordingtoanembodiment,thesoftwaremoduleisfurtherconfiguredto maptheidentificationdatatothedistributionlistsbasedonadaptivecriteriathereby updatingthedistributionlists. Theadaptivecriteriaareforexampleitemtype,location,prioritylevels,delivery10 schedules,oraswillbefurtherexplained,userinput.Theadaptivecriteriaarelinkedtothe distributionlists,butalsotothesetofinstructionsandoptionallytotheidentificationdata. Furthernotethatwhenthedistributionlistsarecontinuouslyupdatedbythesoftwaremodule, thesetofinstructionsarelikewiseupdated.Adaptivethereforereferstotheabilityofthesystemtocontinuouslyadjustthesetofinstructionsinresponsetochangingconditions,even15 ifthesystemdoesnothaveanactiveconnectionwiththeERPsystembecauseofthe absenceofacommunicationlink. Furthermore,accordingtoanembodiment,theergonomichandheld scanningdeviceisfurtherconfiguredtocaptureoneormoreindicatorsassociatedwiththe20 adaptivecriteria.Inotherwords,thescanningdevicemayinterpretinputdata,suchasuser actionsorenvironmentalconditionsthroughitscapturingcapabilitytoderivetherefrom adaptivecriteria.Thiswaythesetofinstructionsisadaptedinreal-timebecauseofthe updatingofthedistributionlistswithoutanyactivestepsoftheuser.Sinceitdoesrequirea userinterventionitmitigateserrorsandthusprovidessignificantadvantages,enhancingboth25 thesystem’sreliabilityastheuser’ssatisfaction. Accordingtoanembodiment,thesystemfurthercomprisesanergonomic inputdeviceconfiguredtocaptureinputfromtheuser,andwhereintheadaptivecriteria arefurtherbasedontheinput.Furthermore,accordingtoanembodiment,theergonomic30inputmoduleisintegratedintotheergonomichandheldscanningdeviceorviceversa. Theergonomicinputdevicetailoredforprovidingfeedbackthroughinputfrom theuserinhospitalenvironmentsservesasanessentialtoolforenhancingoperational efficiencyandaccuracy.Thisdevice,accordingtoanembodimentintegratedinthe35 ergonomichandheldscanningdevice,allowsuserstoinputreal-timefeedbackaboutitem 2025 / 5002 BE2025 / 5002 10 availability,locationdiscrepancies,orworkflowissues,whichcanbetransferredtothe externalplatformcomprisingtheERPwhenthecommunicationlinkispresent.Forinstance,a userencounteringamissingitemcanreporttheissueinstantlythroughthedevice,triggering correctiveactionssuchasinventoryadjustment.Thesystemnotonlystreamlineserror reportingbutalsoprovidevaluabledataforcontinuousimprovement,reducingdowntime5 andimprovingoveralltraceabilityperformance. Accordingtoanembodiment,thesystemfurthercomprisesatrackingmodule configuredtomonitoralocation,andwherebytheadaptivecriteriaarefurtherbasedonthe location.10Theinclusionofatrackingmoduleconfiguredtomonitoralocationprovides furthersignificantadvantagesinenhancingthesystem'sadaptabilityandprecision.By leveraginglocation-baseddata,thesystemcandynamicallyderivetheadaptivecriteriato suitspecificcontextualconditions,enablingevenmoreaccurateandefficientoperation.15 Thiscapabilitynotonlyimprovesuserexperiencebytailoringresponsestolocation-specific needsbutalsoexpandsthesystem'sapplicabilityacrossthehospitalenvironment,thereby offeringacompetitiveedgeinversatilityandfunctionality. Accordingtoasecondaspectoftheinvention,acomputer-implemented20 methodformanagingandenhancingtraceabilityofmedicalitemswithinhospital environmentsisdisclosedcomprisingthestepsof: -operativelylinkingthedevicesandmodulesaccordingtothefirstaspectofthe invention;and -executingthemappingofthesoftwaremodule.25 Accordingtoathirdaspectoftheinvention,computerprogramisdisclosed comprisinginstructionswhich,whenexecutedbyacomputer,causethecomputertoperformthemethodaccordingtothesecondaspectoftheinvention. 30 Accordingtoafourthaspectoftheinvention,acomputer-readablestorage mediumisdisclosedstoringinstructionswhich,whenexecutedbyacomputer,causethe computertoperformthemethodaccordingtothesecondaspectoftheinvention. Otherembodimentsaccordingtothepresentinventionarementionedinthe35 appendedclaimsandthesubsequentdescriptionofanembodimentoftheinvention. 2025 / 5002 BE2025 / 5002 11 BriefdescriptionoftheDrawings Exemplaryembodimentsoftheinventionaredescribedusingthefigures.Itisto beunderstoodthatthesefiguresmerelyserveasexamplesofhowtheinventioncanbe implementedandareinnowayintendedtobeconstruedaslimitingforthescopeofthe5 inventionandtheclaims.Likefeaturesareindicatedbylikereferencenumeralsalongthe figures. Figure1illustratesthesoftwarearchitectureofthesysteminaccordancewith anembodimentoftheinvention;10 Figure2illustratesthesystemimplementationwithauniversalintegrationgatewayandfunctionalinteractionsinaccordancewithanembodimentoftheinvention; Figure3providesatopviewoftheergonomicdisplaydeviceinaccordance15 withanembodimentoftheinvention; Figure4presentsasideviewcorrespondingtothetopviewshowninFigure3; Figure5illustratesanalternativesideviewsimilartothatshowninFigure4;20 Figure6illustratesanergonomichandheldscanningdeviceinaccordance withanembodimentoftheinvention; Figure7illustratestheprocessbywhichtheergonomichandheldscanning25 deviceretrievesdatafromadatacarrier;and Figure8showsanoperatorintwodifferentpositionsutilizingthescanning deviceanddisplaydevice. 30 Inthedrawings,thesamereferencenumbershavebeenallocatedtothe sameoranalogueelement. 2025 / 5002 BE2025 / 5002 12 Detaileddescriptionofanembodimentoftheinvention Othercharacteristicsandadvantagesofthepresentinventionwillbederived fromthenon-limitativefollowingdescription,andbymakingreferencetothedrawingsand theexamples.5 Figure1illustratesthesoftwarearchitectureofthesystemaccordingtoanembodimentoftheinvention,highlightingitskeycomponentsandinteractions.The architectureisdividedintotwomainsections:theserver-side,labelledasreference101,and thepublicinterface,labelledasreferences102and104.Theserver-side101comprisesa10 database105formanagingandstoringsystemdata,auseraccesspoint107tailoredfor managerialusers110,amiddlewareapplicationprogramminginterface,API,108thatacts asthecommunicationhub,andanAPIkeymanager106forsecureauthenticationand authorizationofAPIinteractions. 15 ThemiddlewareAPI108facilitatesseamlesscommunicationwithan ergonomichandheldscanningdevice109,whichcouldbe,forexample,akeypad.An operator111interactswiththekeypad109andisrequiredtoauthenticatetheiridentityusing abadgeorsimilarcredentialthroughconnection103.Thisensuressecureaccesstothe system'sfunctionalities.Themiddleware108alsointerfaceswithanadditionalpublicinterface20 104,extendingitscommunicationcapabilitiestoothersystemsordevices. Theuseraccesspoint107providesmanagers110withasecureentrypointtothesystem,enablinginteractionthroughcredentialssuchasanemailandpassword114.It furthercommunicateswiththedatabase105usingausernameandpassword112toensure25 dataintegrityandsecureaccess.Next,theAPIkeymanager106isconnectedtothe middleware108viaacertificate-basedconnection113,ensuringsecureandreliable exchangesbetweenthesecomponents.Thislayeredandinterconnectedarchitecture underscoresthesystem’sfocusonsecurity,flexibility,andusability,accommodatingboth operationalandmanagerialneedswhilemaintainingrobustauthenticationmechanisms.30 Theuseraccesspoint107ispreferablyimplementedasaweb-basedinterface, enablingmanagerstosecurelyaccessandviewglobaldatainreal-time.Suchaweb-based implementationfacilitatesremoteaccess,improvesusabilityacrossvariousdevices,and ensuresefficientdatamanagementbyprovidingacentralizedplatformformonitoringand35 analysis. 2025 / 5002 BE2025 / 5002 13 Figure2illustratesthesystemimplementationwithauniversalintegrationgateway204andfunctionalinteractions.Theuniversalintegrationgateway204canalsobe nominatedasauniversalconnector204andservesasanintermediaryinterfacethat seamlesslybridgesthecommunicationbetweenasystemequippedwithakeypad201,a scanner202,andaconnecteddisplay203ononeside,andahospital'sERPsystem205on5 theother.Bystandardizingtheexchangeofdata,theuniversalconnector204ensures smoothinteractionbetweentheseinput / outputdevices201-203byanoperator208andthe ERP205,facilitatingreal-timedatasynchronisationandoperationalconsistency.This integrationenablesoperators208toinput,scan,anddisplaycriticalinformationefficiently whileensuringthattheERPsystem205receivesandprocessesthedataaccurately,thereby10 enhancingworkflowautomationandreducingsystem-specificcomplexities. Theuniversalintegrationgateway204providesaversatileandadaptable solutionforvarioushospitaloperations.Forinstance,inmedicationdistribution,theuniversal integrationgateway204seamlesslyconnectstotheERPsystem205,ensuringaccurateand15efficientdataexchangeformanaginginventoryanddistributionprocesses.Similarly,for managingprostheticsinasurgicalblock,theuniversalintegrationgateway204integrates effortlesslywithanotherthird-partyapplicationwithoutrequiringanychangestotheexisting hardwareconfiguration.Thisflexibilityallowshospitalstostandardizetheirworkflowsacross differentsystemswhilemaintainingtheircurrentinfrastructure,reducingimplementation20 complexityandenhancingoperationalefficiency. Tothisend,thedatabase105managesdatapersistenceandensures synchronisationbetweenvarioussystems,includingtheuniversalintegrationgateway204, thekeypad201,andtheERP205.Thisfunctionalityguaranteesconsistentandreliabledata25 exchangeacrossallconnectedcomponents,enablingseamlessintegrationandefficient systemoperation.Alternatively,thedatabase105canbeomittedandreplacedbyadirect accesstoanERPdatabasethroughtheuniversalintegrationgateway204. ThemiddlewareAPI108playsacentralroleinmanagingexchangesbetween30theuniversalintegrationgateway204andthekeypadsoftwarebycentralizingkeyprocesses suchasidentificationandsynchronisation.Additionally,itofferstheflexibilityforthird-party applicationstointeractwithandmodifythedatabase105throughtheuseraccesspoint107, ensuringseamlessdataupdatesandintegration.Thismiddlewarelayerenhancessystem interoperability,providingastreamlinedandefficientconnectionbetweenvarious35 componentsandexternalapplications. 2025 / 5002 BE2025 / 5002 14 Theuseraccesspoint107offersmanagers110aweb-basedinterface designedtoprovideanintuitiveuserexperienceandacomprehensiveglobalviewofcritical information.Additionally,thisaccesspoint107servesasacentralhubforinteractionswith ERPsystems205andthedatabase105,enablingseamlessdataretrieval,updates,and synchronisation.Thisdualfunctionalityensuresbotheffectiveoversightformanagers110and5 efficientcommunicationbetweensystems,enhancingoveralloperationaltransparencyand control. Theuniversalintegrationgateway204servesasarobustintermediary,seamlesslyconnectingERPsystems205,orotherthird-partysoftware,withhardware10 components.ItensuresefficientdataimportationandstandardizationbyconvertingERP- generatedlistsintoactionabletasksforthekeypad109,201whilemanagingheavy operationsrelatedtodataimportandexport.Formanagers110,theuniversalintegration gateway204providesaglobalandstandardizedview,displayingconsolidateddatasuch aspickinglistsandbroaderhospitalinformation.Itsadaptabilityallowsittosupportvarious15 hospitalsectors,includingpharmacy,logistics,andsurgicalblocks,enablingstreamlined workflowsandimprovedoversightacrossdepartments. Theuniversalintegrationgateway204isdesignedtoaddressthechallengesof complexandheterogeneoushospitalenvironments,wherenumeroussoftwaresystemsand20 stakeholdersmustoperatetogetherseamlessly.Itsarchitecturestandardizescommunication betweenhardwaredevicesandvariousthird-partysoftwaresystems,suchasERPplatforms 205,logistics,pharmacy,andsurgicalblockapplications.Actingasauniversalconnector204,itsimplifiesdataexchangeandensuressmoothintegrationacrossdiversesystems.For example,inmedicationdistribution,theuniversalintegrationgateway204canconnectwith25 hospitalmanagementsoftwaretostreamlineinventoryandtaskmanagement.Similarly,for managingprostheticsinasurgicalblock,itintegrateseffortlesslywithotherthird-party applicationswithoutrequiringmodificationstoexistinghardwareconfigurations.This adaptabilityensuresoperationalconsistency,flexibility,andefficiencyacrossdifferent hospitaldepartments.30 ReferenceisnowmadetoFigures3to8,whichprovideadetailedillustration ofthehardwareimplementationofthesystem.Thesefigureshighlightthepractical integrationandconfigurationofthehardwarecomponents,showcasingtheiradaptability, ergonomicdesign,andmodularnature.Thisvisualrepresentationoffersaclearer35 understandingofhowthesystemoperatesinvariousenvironmentsanddemonstratesits 2025 / 5002 BE2025 / 5002 15 abilitytomeetdiverseoperationalrequirementseffectively.Tothisend,Figures3to8illustratetheversatilityandpracticalimplementationofthehardware,highlightingitsergonomic featuresandadaptabilitytospecifichospitalrequirements. Theergonomicandmodularhardwareservesasauniquecompetitive5 advantage,offeringflexibilityandeaseofusetailoredtothedemandingneedsofhospital environments.Itsdesignprioritizesusercomfortandadaptability,ensuringseamless integrationintodiverseworkflows.Themodularityallowsforeasycustomizationand scalability,makingitsuitableforvariousapplications,suchaspharmacy,logistics,and surgicaloperations.Thishardwareenhancesoperationalefficiencywhilemaintainingauser-10 friendlyexperience,whichsetsitapartinthemarket. Figures3to5providedetailedillustrationsofanergonomicdisplaydevice, shownfromatopviewandtwosideviews,asalsoforexampledisclosedindocument BE1031583.Thedeviceisdesignedforoptimalcomfortandusability,particularlyin15 demandingoperationalenvironments.Itcanbemountedsecurelyonanoperator111,with element301positionedatthebackofthehead,element302ononeside,andelement304ontheoppositeside.Notably,side304featuresarotatabledisplay303,whichallowscritical informationtobedisplayeddirectlywithintheoperator'slineofsightwhileremaining unobtrusive.Thisdesignensuresthattheoperator111canquicklyaccessessentialdata20 withoutexcessiveheadmovementordistraction,improvingsituationalawarenessandtask efficiency.Theergonomicconfigurationandrotatablenatureofthedisplaycontributeto reducingoperatorfatigue,makingthedeviceparticularlysuitableforcontinuoususein professionalsettingssuchashealthcareenvironments. 25 Figures6and7illustrateanergonomichandheldscanningdevice603 designedforenhancedoperator111efficiencyandcomfort.Thedevicecanbesecurely mountedoveranoperator'shandorarmviaanopening601,ensuringastableandhands- freeexperienceduringoperation.Inadditiontoitsscanningfunctionality,thedeviceserves asanergonomicinputtool,featuringstrategicallyplacedkeys602thatenabletheoperator30 111toinputdataseamlesslyintothesystem101withminimaleffort.Figure7furtherdemonstratesthedevice'scapabilitytocapturedatawirelessly701fromadatacarrier700, eliminatingtheneedforphysicalcontactoralignmentduringscanning.Thiswireless701 functionalityimprovesworkflowspeedandaccuracy,particularlyindynamicenvironments wherequickdataacquisitionisessential.Thecompact,lightweightdesignofthedevice35 reducesoperatorfatigueduringprolongeduse,whileitsdualfunctionalityasbothascanning 2025 / 5002 BE2025 / 5002 16 andinputtoolstreamlinesprocessesacrosssectorssuchashealthcareandinventory management.Thisinnovativedesignenhancesmobility,reduceserrors,andensuressmooth interactionwithbroadersysteminfrastructure. Finally,Figure8illustratesanoperatordemonstratingthepracticaluseofthe5 ergonomicdevicesintwodistinctpositions.Theoperatorisshownwearingtheergonomic displaydevicesecurelymountedonthehead801andtheergonomichandheldscanning andinputdevicepositionedonthearm800.Thisco