Method for generating a tray device layout

Abstract

The present application generally relates to a method for generating a tray instrument layout wherein the tray instrument layout is adapted to a type of surgical procedure to be performed, surgical instruments available, and a procedure sequence in which the surgical procedure is performed. The invention also relates to a corresponding computer system and a computer program product.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application generally relates to a method for generating a tray instrument layout, where the tray instrument layout is adapted to consider the type of surgical procedure to be performed, the available surgical instruments, and the surgical sequence for performing the surgical procedure. The present application also relates to a corresponding computer system and computer program product. Background Art

[0002] Instruments are an essential part of a surgical procedure, and the correct arrangement and availability of instruments on a surgical instrument tray can significantly affect the efficiency and success of the surgery.

[0003] In a typical surgical procedure, depending on the specific procedure being performed and the preferences of a particular surgeon, the surgeon will use a large number of handheld surgical instruments in a specific order. Since the number of different surgical instruments that are typically required can reach into the hundreds, and these instruments have different sizes and other differences, it becomes crucial for the surgical assistant to be able to quickly and accurately deliver the instrument requested by the surgeon. Unfortunately, in a surgical environment, there are situations where experienced and knowledgeable surgical personnel make mistakes due to negligence, or where less skilled assistants are unable to identify the specific surgical instrument requested by the surgeon by name.

[0004] An example of a solution that attempts to overcome the above situation is presented in US6158437, where a plastic or paper-based surgical instrument support is provided and placed within the surgical instrument tray as described above. The surgical instrument support shows graphical representations of different surgical instruments, preferably in the order of expected use during the surgical procedure.

[0005] The surgical instrument support presented in US6158437 will typically be reused during a subsequent stage for the same type of surgical procedure on another patient. To ensure that the surgical instrument tray remains sterile, the surgical instrument support will be placed within a transparent and sterilizable flexible bag within the surgical instrument tray.

[0006] Although the surgical instrument support presented in US6158437 can generally be improved during the performance of a surgical procedure, its formation lacks flexibility and is therefore not suitable for use in a modern hospital environment, especially in situations where multiple surgeons and staff share a common and rapidly changing work environment for performing different surgical procedures.

[0007] Therefore, especially in response to the common challenges in a modern hospital environment, it seems necessary to provide greater flexibility in the formation of the tray instrument layout to be used in relation to a surgical instrument tray. Summary of the Invention

[0008] Accordingly, in one aspect of the present application, there is provided a computer-implemented method for automatically generating a tray instrument layout for a surgical procedure, the method comprising: receiving, at a processing unit, a request for generating a tray instrument layout, wherein the request includes an indication of a surgical procedure; using the processing unit to obtain a set of surgical instruments required for performing the surgical procedure; using the processing unit to obtain a set of available surgical instruments; using the processing unit to match the set of required surgical instruments with the set of available surgical instruments to form a set of matched surgical instruments; if the required surgical instruments do not match the available surgical instruments, using the processing unit to identify alternative surgical instruments; using the processing unit and based on the surgical procedure, forming a sequence of the set of matched surgical instruments and the alternative surgical instruments, wherein the sequence is formed based on predefined surgical steps for the surgical procedure; using the processing unit and based on the surgical procedure, obtaining instrument definition information for at least a portion of the set of matched surgical instruments; and using the processing unit to form a graphical representation of the sequence of surgical instruments, wherein the graphical representation further includes instrument definition information disposed adjacent to the corresponding surgical instruments.

[0009] The present application is based on the recognition that further measures are needed to address situations where preoperative preparers are brought to a near standstill due to the unavailability of some of the surgical instruments required for a particular surgical procedure. The availability of surgical instruments can change on a daily basis. This is a common problem in the modern hospital environment where a large number of surgical procedures are constantly being performed, and the procurement process for obtaining the required surgical instruments and related inventory may not always match what is currently needed.

[0010] Manually searching for alternative / replacement surgical instruments for unavailable ones can be affected by stress, inexperienced staff, and general human error. To address this, the present application solves this problem by introducing an automatic matching scheme in which a computerized process will ensure that the most suitable matched surgical instruments are provided and correctly arranged in the tray instrument layout for a surgical procedure. The advantage of adopting such an automated approach is that it ensures that a surgical procedure can be performed with a minimum risk of error even when the availability of the instruments used in the surgery is uncertain.

[0011] Compared to traditional, more manual methods in the prior art, the automated processes introduced by the solutions according to the present application can bring significant improvements. Variations in the availability of surgical instruments are a common challenge in a busy hospital environment, and the ability to dynamically adapt to such varying availability has shown great promise. Different from the semi-manual or user-dependent methods proposed in the prior art, the solutions according to the present application can employ sophisticated algorithmic solutions to automatically identify the most suitable alternative instrument when the preferred instrument is unavailable. This level of automation significantly reduces the reliance on human decision-making, which can be prone to errors due to stress or lack of experience. Additionally, the ability to evaluate instrument availability in real time and align the instruments with the surgical requirements also ensures higher accuracy and reliability during the surgical preparation process.

[0012] Furthermore, the automatic generation of the tray instrument layout according to the present application ensures a consistent and orderly arrangement of the instruments customized for the specific needs of each surgical procedure, and also contrasts with the use of, for example, static templates as proposed in the prior art, which may not be able to adapt to the dynamic nature of instrument availability and the preferences of the surgeon. The solutions according to the present application enable the automatic sorting of instruments based on the surgical steps, which not only simplifies the preparation process but also introduces a new level of efficiency in surgical planning. By automating the organization and visualization of the necessary instruments, the system reduces the time and effort required for manual sorting and verification of the instrument set, thus improving the efficiency in a time-critical medical environment. This functionality is particularly valuable in the case of fluctuating instrument availability, ensuring that the surgical team can focus on patient care without being distracted by logistical uncertainties.

[0013] As used herein, the term "surgical procedure" refers to a procedure performed on a patient by a doctor, dentist, veterinarian, or other legally authorized healthcare professional, which involves multiple handheld (surgical) instruments and is at least partially invasive.

[0014] The term "surgical instrument" should be broadly understood to include the above-mentioned handheld and at least partially invasive instruments, as well as swabs, sutures, etc. In the context of the present application, items such as gloves may also be part of the term "surgical instrument".

[0015] In order to enable the process of matching the set of required surgical instruments with the set of available surgical instruments to be performed with minimal perceived latency, a computationally efficient matching scheme needs to be applied. Possible schemes that can be used in connection with the present application include different forms of so-called graph-based image processing methods currently used in, for example, the field of computer vision, such as finding paths in an image. Other predefined schemes are also possible and fall within the scope of the present application.

[0016] In the event that the surgical instrument is not available, alternative / replacement instruments are to be identified. Preferably, this process is carried out in an automated manner by a processing unit, where the processing unit automatically performs such an evaluation and determination on one or more alternative / replacement instruments.

[0017] Thus, in the event that the required surgical instrument is not available in the existing inventory, the processing unit of the system can conduct a systematic search for a suitable alternative instrument. Such a search can be carried out, for example, within the scope of a pre-established database that stores a comprehensive list of potential replacement instruments. Each replacement instrument in this database is cataloged based on its functional compatibility with the instruments typically required for various surgical procedures.

[0018] The processing unit can generally adopt an algorithmic approach to evaluate each potential replacement instrument against the specific requirements of the required instrument, where the evaluation includes an analysis of the functional attributes of the instrument, thereby ensuring that any proposed replacement instrument can effectively perform the same function as the original instrument during a surgical procedure. The determination of suitability also takes into account the critical role of the instrument in the surgery, preferentially selecting the replacement instrument with the operating parameters closest to those of the required instrument.

[0019] This automated process advantageously reduces the risk of surgical interruption and ensures that the surgical team is equipped with the most suitable tools, even though certain instruments may be missing from the available set of instruments. The system's ability to quickly identify suitable alternatives and integrate them into the tray layout has proven to be highly beneficial, aiming to maintain the efficiency and safety of surgical procedures. Possibly, the matching scheme and the determination of alternative / replacement instruments can include a machine learning process for selecting the best available match, which may take into account the necessity of using a specific instrument in a particular surgical procedure. In other words, in some surgical procedures, greater flexibility may be allowed in the selection of alternative instruments compared to other surgical procedures where certain instruments must be used. In such an embodiment, the machine learning process can be trained to also consider the current state of the instrument inventory. Another anticipated (future) surgical procedure can also be considered when determining the most suitable matching instrument.

[0020] The machine learning process can be, for example, one of an unsupervised machine learning process or a supervised machine learning process. Using a supervised machine learning process may initially be advantageous (when the amount of available data is relatively small), whereby the results of the machine learning process can be examined by an individual such as the above-mentioned surgeon or staff member to determine whether the results of the machine learning process are likely to be correct.

[0021] Different types of machine learning processes can be used, such as, for example, machine learning processes based on convolutional neural network (CNN) or recurrent neural network (RNN).

[0022] According to an embodiment of the present application, desirably, a physical copy of the graphical representation can be produced. The physical copy of the graphical representation can be printed, for example, onto a sheet of material such as made of paper or plastic. Desirably, a sterilization method, a printing method, and / or a method capable of sterilizing the sheet of material without affecting the graphical representation or the sheet of material itself are selected. In the case where the sheet of material is made of paper, a sterilization method based on, for example, gamma radiation or dry heat can be used to ensure that the paper is not affected by the sterilization. The printing method used can include, for example, laser jet printing or inkjet printing, and other methods can also be used within the scope of the present application.

[0023] In some embodiments, a computer-readable element can be included in the instrument defining information. In one embodiment, the computer-readable element is optically readable using an electronic device, for example, implemented as at least one of a one-dimensional (1D) barcode and a two-dimensional (2D) barcode. Other current and future optical methods are also possible and fall within the scope of the present application. In the case of using an optical computer-readable element, a so-called QR code can possibly be used.

[0024] The advantage of including a computer-readable element in at least a portion of the surgical instrument is the ability to enable a surgeon or a staff member to easily obtain other information related to the surgical instrument and its use. For example, a surgeon or a staff member can use an electronic device equipped with, for example, a camera or a similar device to obtain the optical computer-readable element. The electronic device can be, for example, a mobile phone or the like. The optical computer-readable element can include a hyperlink or a similar website (or a similar platform) that displays information (displayed within the GUI of the electronic device), and the displayed information includes images and video sequences that further define the surgical instrument and its use.

[0025] In a preferred embodiment of the present application, the request further includes an additional set of surgical instruments, and the matching set of surgical instruments is further based on the additional set of surgical instruments. Thus, a particular surgeon can have the instruments required by an individual for a particular surgical procedure in addition to the instruments that are normally expected to be used when performing the particular surgical procedure. The method according to the present application ensures that such requirements are also included when preparing the graphical representation of the surgical instruments.

[0026] In some embodiments of the present application, desirably, the method may further include: using a processing unit to establish a connection with a server storing graphical illustrations of surgical instruments, and using the processing unit to request that graphical illustrations of each surgical instrument in a sequence of surgical instruments be included in a graphical representation. Advantageously, the graphical illustrations will further simplify the task of preparing a tray for a surgical procedure, as illustrations matching each instrument will be provided to the staff performing the preparation task. As an alternative, the graphical illustrations may be provided only as outlines of the corresponding surgical instruments.

[0027] It should be understood that the server preferably includes the processing unit discussed above. For example, the computing power provided by the processing unit and / or the server may be provided in the form of a cloud-based computing system, where the server is defined as a cloud server. Thus, the computing power provided by the present invention may be distributed among multiple servers, and the location of the server need not be explicitly defined. An advantage of using a cloud-based solution is also that it addresses inherent redundancy.

[0028] Possibly, the method may further include: using a processing unit to upload an image of another surgical instrument to the server, and using the server to automatically form an outline of the other surgical instrument. Thus, one or more photos of the other / new instrument may be taken, whereupon the server will automatically apply an image processing scheme for extracting the instrument outline. Possibly, the mobile phone discussed above may be used to obtain an image of the other / new instrument.

[0029] According to another aspect of the present application, there is also provided a computer system adapted to automatically generate a tray instrument layout for a surgical procedure, where the computer system includes a processing unit adapted to perform the following operations: receiving a request for generating a tray instrument layout, where the request includes an indication of a surgical procedure; obtaining a set of surgical instruments required for performing the surgical procedure; obtaining a set of available surgical instruments; matching the set of required surgical instruments with the set of available surgical instruments to form a set of matching surgical instruments; if the required surgical instruments do not match the available surgical instruments, identifying alternative surgical instruments; forming a sequence of the set of matching surgical instruments and the alternative surgical instruments based on the surgical procedure, where the sequence is formed based on surgical steps predefined for the surgical procedure; obtaining instrument boundary information for at least a portion of the set of matching surgical instruments based on the surgical procedure; and forming a graphical representation of the sequence of surgical instruments, where the graphical representation further includes instrument boundary information disposed adjacent to the corresponding surgical instruments. This aspect of the present invention provides advantages similar to those discussed above with respect to the previous aspects of the present invention.

[0030] Advantageously, the computer system further includes a network interface for communicating with an electronic user device adapted to form a request for generating a tray instrument layout. As described above, the electronic user device can be, for example, a mobile phone. However, any form of mobile electronic device is possible, such as a computer (e.g., a laptop computer), preferably provided with the above-described camera for acquiring an image or video sequence.

[0031] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program product including a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer program means for controlling a computer system adapted to automatically generate a tray instrument layout for a surgical procedure, wherein the computer system includes a processing unit, and the computer program product includes: code for receiving, at the processing unit, a request for generating a tray instrument layout, wherein the request includes an indication of a surgical procedure; code for using the processing unit to obtain a set of surgical instruments required for performing the surgical procedure; code for using the processing unit to obtain a set of available surgical instruments; code for using the processing unit to match the set of required surgical instruments with the set of available surgical instruments to form a matched set of surgical instruments; code for using the processing unit to identify alternative surgical instruments in the case where the required surgical instruments do not match the available surgical instruments; code for using the processing unit and based on the surgical procedure to form a sequence of the matched set of surgical instruments and the alternative surgical instruments, wherein the sequence is formed based on predefined surgical steps for the surgical procedure; code for using the processing unit and based on the surgical procedure to obtain instrument delimiting information for at least a portion of the matched set of surgical instruments; and code for using the processing unit to form a graphical representation of the sequence of surgical instruments, wherein the graphical representation further includes instrument delimiting information disposed adjacent to the respective surgical instruments.

[0032] Software executed by a processing unit operating in accordance with the present invention can be stored on a computer-readable medium, which can be any type of memory device, including: removable non-volatile random access memory, hard disk drive, floppy disk, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, USB memory, SD memory card, or other similar computer-readable media known in the art.

[0033] Other features and advantages of the present application will be apparent when studying the appended claims and the following description. Those skilled in the art will recognize that different features of the present application can be combined to obtain embodiments other than those described below without departing from the scope of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] As will be readily appreciated in light of the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, aspects of the present application, including its particular features and advantages, will become apparent, where:

[0035] Figure 1 Conceptually illustrates a computer system suitable for forming a physical copy of a tray instrument layout according to a currently preferred embodiment of the present application.

[0036] Figure 2 An exemplary graphical representation of a sequence of surgical instruments of a tray instrument layout is shown, and

[0037] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the steps of a method of performing according to a currently preferred embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] The present application will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which currently preferred embodiments of the present application are shown. However, the present application may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided for thoroughness and completeness and to fully convey the scope of the present application to those skilled in the art. In the present application, like reference numerals refer to like elements.

[0039] Now turning to the drawings, and in particular Figure 1 , Figure 1 Conceptually illustrates a computer system 100 that is adapted to generate a tray instrument layout 102 for a surgical procedure, and the tray instrument layout 102 will be arranged at a surgical instrument tray 103.

[0040] The computer system 100 includes: a server 104 and a client device 108. The server 104 communicates with a database 106, and the client device 108 communicates with the server 104 over a network (such as communicating using the Internet 110). In Figure 1 , the client device 108 is operated by hospital staff 112. However, any user (such as a surgeon, for example) may operate the client device 108.

[0041] The client device 108 is shown here as a mobile phone by way of example. The client device 108 includes a graphical user interface (GUI) 114 and a camera (not explicitly shown). The client device 108 further includes a control unit (not shown). The GUI 114 is preferably adapted to present instructions and information to, for example, hospital staff 112, such as for using the camera (not shown) to acquire a computer-readable element 202 (as will be described in Figure 2Images (shown further below and described in detail below) of the surgical instrument 116, and the GUI 114 is also used to display information related to the surgical instrument 116.

[0042] The network 110 can be a wired network or a wireless network, including wired connections such as building LANs, WANs, Ethernet, IP networks, etc., and wireless connections such as WLAN, CDMA, GSM, GPRS, 3G mobile communication, 4G mobile communication, 5G mobile communication, Bluetooth, infrared, etc.

[0043] The computer system 100 further includes a printer 118, which is preferably also connected to the server 104 via the network.

[0044] During the operation of the computer system 100, with further reference to Figure 2 and Figure 3 , the process begins at step S1, where the server 104 receives a request to generate a tray instrument layout. This request to generate a tray instrument layout can typically be formed as part of a request for a set of surgical instruments 116 used in a particular surgical procedure. Thus, this request to generate a tray instrument layout includes: an indication (such as a data tag) containing information related to the particular surgical procedure. The surgical procedure can be any form of surgical procedure that will use the surgical instrument 118.

[0045] In step S2, the server 104 then obtains the set of surgical instruments 118 required to perform the particular surgical procedure. As an example, the server 102 can request information from, for example, the database 106 based on the surgical procedure, and in response, receive a list of the set of surgical instruments 118 required to perform the particular surgical procedure.

[0046] Then, the server 104 will continue to execute step S3, obtaining a list of, for example, available surgical instruments. Such a list can be stored, for example, in the database 106 and reflects the current inventory of surgical instruments, such as within the hospital, external warehouses, etc.

[0047] Based on the list of the required set of surgical instruments 118 and the list of available surgical instruments, the server 104 will continue to execute step S4, forming a matching set of surgical instruments. As is obvious from the above, there may be cases where not all of the required surgical instruments 118 are available. In such cases, one or more alternative or replacement instruments can be introduced. The server 104 can be configured to automatically perform such an evaluation and determination of one or more alternative or replacement instruments. Possibly, in such an embodiment, the server 104 can also consider other possible concurrent requests for surgical instruments.

[0048] Server 104 may implement the following strategy: Provide the required surgical instruments for critical surgical procedures, and provide alternative / replacement instruments for less critical surgical procedures. Currently, other strategies are also possible and within the scope of this application.

[0049] In addition, server 104 may consider the expected changes in the inventory of surgical instruments 118. In other words, in the case where server 104 receives an indication of an expected intermediate interruption in the inventory, server 104 may choose to automatically use alternative / replacement instruments. It should be understood that server 104 may utilize a machine learning process to execute the strategies for selecting alternative / replacement instruments discussed above. Such a machine learning process may be trained based on previous human operations, in which human operators have previously considered compiling a set of matching surgical instruments.

[0050] Once a set of matching surgical instruments is formed, server 104 may continue to perform step S5 to form a sequence of sets of matching surgical instruments. In such a case, server 104 may obtain information presenting the usual order of a particular surgical procedure from, for example, database 106. Then, server 104 may modify this order based on the set of matching surgical instruments. In other words, such a modification may be required because the set of matching surgical instruments may be different from the set of surgical instruments required for the surgical procedure.

[0051] Generally, it may be necessary to obtain instrument definition information for at least a part of the set of matching surgical instruments, where the instrument definition information includes the computer-readable element 202 described above. As Figure 2 shown, the computer-readable element 202 may include a so-called Quick Response (QR) code. The QR code itself may contain information related to the surgical instrument, or include a reference to an online service (such as a website) where information related to the function and operation of the surgical instrument can be found.

[0052] In addition, it may be necessary to request a graphical illustration for each surgical instrument in the sequence of sets of matching surgical instruments 118. Such a graphical illustration may include, for example, the outline 204 of the corresponding surgical instrument 118. Alternatively, the graphical illustration may also be an image of the surgical instrument 118.

[0053] Once the server has a set of matching surgical instruments 118, a sequence of computer-readable elements 202, and profiles 204 available, the server 104 will proceed to step S7 to form a graphical representation of the sequence of surgical instruments 118. This graphical representation can be considered to contain all the information listed above and arranged in a suitable manner, also taking into account the maximum allowable length / width and dimensions of each instrument in the surgical instruments 118. The server 104 is preferably arranged to automatically arrange the surgical instruments 118 according to the formed sequence, where the QR code 202 (or similar element) is disposed adjacent to the corresponding surgical instrument 118.

[0054] The graphical representation can then be transmitted to a printer 118, where the printer can print the graphical representation onto, for example, a sheet of paper to form a tray instrument layout 102 that is to be arranged at the surgical instrument tray 103.

[0055] In a warehouse or storage facility, the tray instrument layout 102 can be packaged together with the set of matching instruments 118 for the surgical procedure, for example, into a container or "bag". The container / bag can then be opened by the staff 112 in the operating room, and the staff 112 will arrange the tray instrument layout 102 at the surgical instrument tray 103 and then arrange the surgical instruments 118 to align with the profile of each instrument in the instruments 118. In the case where the staff 112 requires further information related to a particular instrument 118, the staff 112 can capture an image of the QR code 202 and present the further information within the GUI 114 of the mobile phone 108.

[0056] The control functions of the present application can be implemented using existing computer processors, or by a dedicated computer processor for a suitable system, which is combined for this or another purpose, or by a hardwired system. Embodiments within the scope of the present application include a program product that includes a machine-readable medium for carrying or having machine-executable instructions or data structures stored thereon. Such a machine-readable medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer or other machine with a processor. By way of example, such a machine-readable medium can include RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store the desired program code in the form of machine-executable instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer or other machine with a processor. When information is transferred or provided to a machine through a network or another communication connection (wired, wireless, or a combination of wired or wireless), the machine properly views the connection as a machine-readable medium. Thus, any such connection is properly termed a machine-readable medium. Combinations of the above are also included within the scope of machine-readable media. Machine-executable instructions include, for example, instructions and data that cause a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or special-purpose processor to perform a certain function or a group of functions.

[0057] Although the figures may show a sequence of step orders, the step order can also be different from that depicted. In addition, two or more steps can be performed simultaneously or partially simultaneously. Such variations will depend on the selected software and hardware systems and the choices of the designer. All such variations are within the scope of the present application. Similarly, software implementations can be accomplished through standard programming techniques with rule-based logic and other logic to perform various connection steps, processing steps, comparison steps, and decision steps. In addition, although the present invention has been described with reference to its specific exemplary embodiments, many different changes, modifications, etc. will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0058] In addition, based on a study of the figures, the disclosure, and the appended claims, those skilled in the art can understand and implement variations of the various disclosed embodiments when practicing the invention claimed in the present application. Additionally, in the claims, the term "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article "a" does not exclude a plurality.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for automatically generating a tray instrument layout (102) for a surgical procedure, wherein, The method includes: At a processing unit, receiving (S1) a request for generating the tray instrument layout, wherein the request includes an indication of the surgical procedure; Using the processing unit, obtaining (S2) a set of surgical instruments (118) required to perform the surgical procedure; Using the processing unit, obtaining (S3) a set of available surgical instruments; Using the processing unit, matching the set of required surgical instruments with the set of available surgical instruments to form (S4) a set of matching surgical instruments; If the required surgical instruments do not match the available surgical instruments, using the processing unit to identify alternative surgical instruments; Using the processing unit, forming (S5) a sequence of the set of matching surgical instruments and the alternative surgical instruments based on the surgical procedure, wherein the sequence is formed based on predefined surgical steps for the surgical procedure; Using the processing unit, obtaining (S6) instrument delimiting information for at least a portion of the set of matching surgical instruments based on the surgical procedure; and Using the processing unit, forming (S7) a graphical representation of the sequence of the surgical instruments, wherein the graphical representation further includes instrument delimiting information disposed adjacent to the respective surgical instruments.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Generating a physical copy of the graphical representation.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein The instrument delimiting information includes computer-readable elements (202).

4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The request further includes an additional set of surgical instruments, and the set of matching surgical instruments is further based on the additional set of surgical instruments.

5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The alternative surgical instruments are selected from a predefined list of alternative surgical instruments.

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: Using the processing unit, establishing a connection with a server (104) that stores graphical illustrations of surgical instruments; And Using the processing unit, requesting that graphical illustrations of each surgical instrument in the sequence of surgical instruments be included in the graphical representation.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein, Each graphical illustration includes an outline of the respective surgical instrument.

8. The method according to claim 6 or 7, further comprising: Using the processing unit, uploading an image of another surgical instrument to the server; And Using the server to automatically form an outline of the another surgical instrument.

9. A computer system adapted to automatically generate a tray instrument layout for a surgical procedure, wherein, The computer system includes a processing unit adapted to perform the following operations: Receiving a request for generating the tray instrument layout, wherein the request includes an indication of the surgical procedure; Obtaining a set of surgical instruments required to perform the surgical procedure; Obtaining a set of available surgical instruments; Matching the set of required surgical instruments with the set of available surgical instruments to form a set of matching surgical instruments; If the required surgical instruments do not match the available surgical instruments, identifying alternative surgical instruments; Based on the surgical procedure, forming a sequence of the set of matching surgical instruments and the alternative surgical instruments, wherein the sequence is formed based on predefined surgical steps for the surgical procedure; Based on the surgical procedure, obtain instrument definition information for at least a portion of the set of matching surgical instruments; and Form a graphical representation of the sequence of the surgical instruments, wherein the graphical representation further includes instrument definition information disposed adjacent to the respective surgical instruments.

10. The computer system according to claim 9, wherein The system further includes a network interface for communicating with an electronic user device; and The electronic user device is adapted to form a request for generating the tray instrument layout.

11. The computer system according to claim 10, wherein, The system is adapted to establish communication with a printer using the network interface to produce a physical copy of the graphical representation.

12. The computer system according to claim 10 or 11, wherein The request further includes an additional set of surgical instruments, and the set of matching surgical instruments is further based on the additional set of surgical instruments.

13. The computer system according to any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein The processing unit is further adapted to perform the following operations: If the required surgical instruments do not match the available surgical instruments, identify alternative surgical instruments.

14. The computer system according to claim 10 or 11, wherein, The processing unit is also adapted to perform the following operations: Using the network interface, establish a connection with a server that stores graphical illustrations of surgical instruments; and Request that the graphical illustration of each surgical instrument in the sequence of the surgical instruments be included in the graphical representation.

15. A computer program product includes a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a computer program apparatus for controlling a computer system adapted to automatically generate a tray instrument layout for a surgical procedure, wherein, The computer system includes a processing unit, and the computer program product includes: Code for receiving, at the processing unit, a request for generating the tray instrument layout, wherein the request includes an indication of the surgical procedure; Code for using the processing unit to obtain the set of surgical instruments required to perform the surgical procedure; Code for using the processing unit to obtain the set of available surgical instruments; Code for using the processing unit to match the set of required surgical instruments with the set of available surgical instruments to form a set of matching surgical instruments; Code for using the processing unit to identify alternative surgical instruments in the case where the required surgical instruments do not match the available surgical instruments; Code for using the processing unit to form a sequence of the set of matching surgical instruments and alternative surgical instruments based on the surgical procedure, wherein the sequence is formed based on predefined surgical steps for the surgical procedure; Code for using the processing unit to obtain instrument definition information for at least a portion of the set of matching surgical instruments based on the surgical procedure; and Code for using the processing unit to form a graphical representation of the sequence of the surgical instruments, wherein the graphical representation further includes instrument definition information disposed adjacent to the respective surgical instruments.

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