Sterilization System Controller for Automated Patient Recall
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current sterilization systems in medical and dental practices lack integrated data management and record-keeping capabilities, leading to manual and error-prone processes that are time-consuming and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A sterilization system with a controller that automates data collection, storage, and notification processes, including the ability to identify failed sterilization cycles, recall affected items, and notify patients through integrated databases and communication modules.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual record keeping is used by medical or dental staff, then the system structure remains simple, but the time consumption and error rate increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the sterilization system with integrated data management and record-keeping capabilities into a unified system. The controller automatically collects sterilization data, tracks instrument usage, and maintains records, eliminating the need for separate manual documentation processes and significantly improving productivity while managing complexity through integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The sterilization system performs self-service by automatically collecting its own operational data, generating records, and maintaining databases without human intervention. The controller autonomously tracks sterilization cycles, instrument usage, and patient information, reducing time consumption and errors associated with manual record keeping by staff members.
2Reliability
If automated data collection and management is implemented, then record keeping accuracy improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the controller continuously monitors sterilization processes, automatically records data, and verifies information accuracy. The integrated database receives real-time feedback from sterilization cycles and instrument usage tracking, ensuring high reliability and accuracy of records while managing complexity through automated feedback loops.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller serves multiple functions including data collection, storage, analysis, and notification, making the system universal and multi-functional. This consolidates what would otherwise require multiple separate systems into a single integrated platform, improving reliability through consistent automated operations while managing overall system complexity through functional consolidation.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If instrument recall capabilities are integrated into the sterilization system, then patient safety improves, but the device complexity and data management requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by continuously tracking and storing sterilization data, instrument usage information, and patient associations in advance. When a recall is needed, the system can immediately identify affected instruments and patients without requiring complex real-time analysis, as all necessary data has been pre-collected and organized, improving patient safety while managing data management complexity through proactive data preparation.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated database acts as an intermediary between sterilization operations, instrument tracking, and patient information. This mediator consolidates data from multiple sources and provides a unified interface for recall management, improving patient safety through comprehensive tracking while simplifying data management by providing a centralized intermediary layer that handles complexity internally.
4Speed
If manual notification processes are used for sterilization failures, then the system remains simple, but the response time and operational efficiency decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual notification mechanisms with automated electronic communication systems. The controller automatically generates and sends notifications to relevant personnel when sterilization failures or recalls occur, eliminating the need for manual phone calls, emails, or physical notifications. This substitution dramatically improves response speed while managing complexity through standardized automated communication protocols.
Data Source
AI summary
A sterilization system with integrated instrument recall capabilities and related methods is disclosed. In one aspect, the sterilization system is adapted to determine a failed sterilization cycle of a sterilizer in response to failure of a biological indicator test for the sterilizer, identify sterilization cycles to be recalled based on the failed sterilization cycle, identify one or more patients for whom an item in a recalled sterilization cycle was used, and initiate a patient notification routine comprising at least one of outputting of identifying information of the one or more patients for whom an item in the recalled sterilization cycle was used and notifying the one or more patients for whom an item in the recalled sterilization cycle was used about the recalled sterilization cycle.