Surgical Tray Machine-Readable Pegs for Automated Supply Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current manual methods for tracking surgical supplies during procedures are slow, error-prone, and inefficient, leading to inaccuracies in supply usage records, which can result in reimbursement issues, incorrect restocking, and suboptimal patient care.
Innovation Solution
A surgical tray with machine-readable objects, such as pegs, that contain data about the supplies, allowing for real-time tracking of supply usage by reading data from these objects to update counts, eliminating the need for manual recording.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual methods are used to track surgical supplies, then the process is simple to implement, but the accuracy and speed of tracking deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses machine-readable objects (barcodes, RFID tags) as data copies of the physical surgical supplies. Each supply item has a corresponding machine-readable identifier that stores information about the supply type, enabling automated optical or electromagnetic reading systems to accurately track supplies without manual intervention, thus improving tracking precision while maintaining manageable system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical tracking methods (visual identification and paper recording) with automated systems using optical scanning or electromagnetic field-based RFID reading. This substitution eliminates human error in tracking and significantly improves accuracy and speed, as the reading devices can automatically capture supply information without physical contact or line-of-sight constraints
2Productivity
If manual recording methods are used, then the equipment required is minimal, but the time consumption and error rate increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables continuous tracking of surgical supplies throughout the procedure. Machine-readable objects allow for uninterrupted reading and recording of supply usage in real-time, eliminating the intermittent nature of manual tracking. The system continuously monitors supply consumption, automatically updating records as supplies are removed from the tray, thus dramatically improving productivity and reducing time loss
Solution Approach 2:
The surgical supply tray system is designed to be self-tracking. As supplies are removed from the tray, the system automatically detects this through the machine-readable objects and updates the usage records without requiring surgeon or nurse intervention. This self-service capability eliminates the time burden of manual recording while maintaining accurate tracking, directly addressing the productivity-time loss contradiction
3Measurement precision
If detailed information is printed on each screw, then identification accuracy improves, but the available space on the tray deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the identification function from the physical screw surface and places it on separate machine-readable objects (barcodes on tray labels, RFID tags in tray structure). This extraction allows detailed supply information to be stored and read without occupying valuable tray space, as the reading devices can access the data wirelessly or through minimal visual contact, thus maintaining both identification accuracy and tray space efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The machine-readable objects serve multiple functions: they provide detailed supply identification, enable automated tracking, and require minimal space. A single RFID tag or barcode can store extensive supply information while occupying negligible tray space, unlike printed labels that consume surface area. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction between identification accuracy and space utilization
4Ease of operation
If similar supplies are visually distinguished, then identification is possible, but the difficulty and time required increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates machine-readable copies of supply identification data that are uniquely associated with each supply type. Even visually similar supplies have distinct machine-readable identifiers that encode their specific properties. This allows reading devices to instantly differentiate between similar supplies based on their unique data codes rather than relying on difficult visual inspection, dramatically improving ease of operation while reducing detection difficulty
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides immediate feedback through automated reading and recognition of machine-readable objects. When a supply is scanned or its RFID tag is read, the system instantly identifies and records the specific supply type, providing real-time confirmation of correct identification. This feedback mechanism eliminates the uncertainty and time required for manual visual differentiation of similar supplies, making the process both easier and faster
Data Source
AI summary
A tray includes a plurality of rows, each of which includes a plurality of slots. Each row contains a plurality of screws. Different rows may contain screws of different types, e.g., lengths. Each of one or more rows contains a machine-readable object (e.g., peg) containing data representing properties of the objects in the corresponding rows. Removal of an object from a row is performed by reading data from the machine-readable object in the row and using that data to modify (e.g., decrement or increment) a count of the type of object contained in that row.