Clinician Programmer Electronic Ticket Inventory Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current electronic programmers for active implantable medical devices, such as neurostimulators, have not been fully utilized for inventory management and manufacturing control, leading to challenges in maintaining optimal inventory levels due to high costs and potential delays in device deployment.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a medical system with a clinician programmer that includes an integrated imaging device, touch-sensitive graphical user interface, electronic processor, and communications device to generate electronic tickets for medical devices, which are then sent to a manufacturing database for inventory management, usage trend analysis, and production scheduling.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If manual inventory tracking methods are used, then device deployment delays are reduced, but inventory management efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice deployment delayVSAvoidinventory management efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual mechanical inventory tracking with an automated electronic system. The clinician programmer automatically generates electronic tickets containing device information, which are transmitted to the manufacturing database. This substitution eliminates manual data entry and tracking, simultaneously improving inventory management efficiency and enabling real-time visibility to prevent deployment delays.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables self-service inventory tracking where the clinician programmer automatically captures device information and generates electronic tickets without requiring manual intervention from inventory管理人员. The device itself provides the information needed for tracking through its unique identifier, allowing the system to self-monitor inventory status and predict manufacturing needs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Reliability

If high inventory levels are maintained, then device availability is improved, but storage costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice availabilityVSAvoidinventory volume

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the manufacturing database continuously receives electronic tickets from clinician programmers, updates inventory records, and analyzes usage trends. This real-time feedback loop allows the system to dynamically adjust inventory levels based on actual usage patterns, ensuring device availability while optimizing inventory volume to reduce storage costs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary analysis of usage trends and predicts potential shortages before they occur. By analyzing historical data from electronic tickets, the manufacturing database can forecast future device needs and trigger manufacturing or procurement actions in advance, ensuring device availability without maintaining excessive inventory levels.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Productivity

If electronic programmer capabilities are expanded for inventory management, then manufacturing control is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing controlVSAvoidprogrammer functionality

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent makes the clinician programmer multi-functional by enabling it to perform both its traditional programming function and new inventory tracking function. The device generates electronic tickets containing unique identifiers and transmits them to the manufacturing database, allowing a single device to serve multiple purposes without requiring separate inventory management systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent merges the inventory management functionality into the existing clinician programmer system. By combining the programming capabilities with automatic ticket generation and transmission, the system consolidates multiple functions into a unified device, improving manufacturing control while avoiding the complexity of separate dedicated inventory management hardware.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS8757485B2System and method for using clinician programmer and clinician programming data for inventory and manufacturing prediction and control

Publication Date: 2014.06.24 CIRTEC MEDICAL CORP

AI summary

The present disclosure involves a medical system. The medical system includes a medical device configured to deliver a medical therapy to a patient, a clinician programmer configured to program the medical device, and a manufacturing database configured to store and maintain an electronic inventory of a plurality of types of medical devices. The clinician programmer is configured to acquire a visual representation of the medical device, generate an electronic ticket identifying the medical device based on the visual representation, and send the electronic ticket to the manufacturing database. The manufacturing database is configured to receive the electronic ticket from the clinician programmer and perform at least one of the following tasks in response to the received electronic ticket: updating the electronic inventory, analyzing a usage trend of the medical device, predicting a potential shortage of the medical device, and suggesting a production schedule for the medical device.