Imaging Stand for Automated Surgical Inventory Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current inventory management techniques in operating rooms are inefficient, as they require manual recording of item usage and lack comprehensive automation, especially for untagged supplies, diverting personnel attention from critical tasks and failing to ensure accurate tracking of high-value surgical components.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising an imaging stand with a camera and interactive user device that acquires images of surgical items, identifies recognition features, and automatically records inventory usage, with manual review options for unidentifiable items, integrating RFID data and cloud-based processing to streamline inventory management and procurement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If manual recording methods are used for inventory management, then personnel can apply different recording methods for different types of supplies, but personnel must spend time applying different recording methods which reduces operational efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The imaging stand with camera and image processing system serves as a universal recording method that can identify multiple types of surgical supplies (tagged and untagged) through a single automated interface, eliminating the need for personnel to learn and apply different recording methods for different supply types
2Extent of automation
If RFID tags and bar codes are used for inventory recording, then automation is improved, but not all supplies are tagged by these methods leaving gaps in tracking
Solution Approach 1:
The imaging stand acts as an intermediary device between the surgical supply and the inventory system. Instead of requiring the supply to have an RFID tag or barcode, the system captures an image of the supply and uses image processing to identify it, thereby mediating the tracking of both tagged and untagged supplies through a common mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/tagging-based identification system (RFID tags, barcodes) with an optical/image-based identification system. The camera captures visual information about the surgical supply, and image processing algorithms extract identifying features, substituting the need for physical tags with a visual recognition mechanism
3Reliability
If manual identification is used for untagged supplies, then all supplies can be tracked, but personnel time is consumed which reduces efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service inventory recording where the imaging stand automatically captures images of supplies and the image processing system autonomously identifies them. This eliminates the need for personnel to manually identify and record each supply, allowing the system to serve itself in the tracking process
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are provided for operating room inventory management by which an imaging stand has a base receptacle on which to place surgical utensils, a post rising above the base receptacle, a camera mounted at the top of the post, and one or more processors configured to acquire a procedure identifier input and an image from the camera, to identify in the image one or more recognition features of a surgical item, and to either: determine from the recognition features an inventory identifier of the surgical item to record use of the surgical item, or to determine that the recognition features are insufficient to determine an inventory identifier and to transmit the image for manual identification of the surgical item.