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US5682728A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method for the supply of medical supplies to a health-care institution based on a nested bill of materials on a procedure level
Assignee: GE Medical Systems Information Technologies Inc
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Filing: 1995-06-12
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Granted: 1997-11-04
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Expires: 2015-06-12
Abstract
Abstract A method for integration of the institutional supply chain for medical products utilizing a nested bill of materials on a care event level of a clinical pathway for one or more medical procedures. The medical supplies appropriate for use in a care event are expressed as a bill of materials. Each item of medical supply is assigned a unique identifier which includes at least identification of the item itself, identification of the supplier of the item, and identification of the care event with which the item is to be used. At a first location a portion of the supplies are unitized and containerized. This subassembly is transported to a second and remote location where further of the supplies are unitized and containerized, using the same container. Thereafter the unitized and containerized supplies are transported to the end user thereof.
Inventors
- 👤 Autry O. V. DeBusk
- 👤 Brian C. DeBusk
- 👤 James M. Mabry
- 👤 Steven J. Polte
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 09:33
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61G; A61G12/00; B; B65; B65G; B65G1/00; B65G1/02; B65G1/04; B65G1/137; B65G1/1373; B65G1/1376; G; G06; G06Q; G06Q10/00; G06Q10/08; G06Q10/087; G06Q10/0875
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
346 words
A method for integration of the institutional supply chain for medical products utilizing a nested bill of materials on a care event level of a clinical pathway for one or more medical procedures comprising the steps of expressing a list of medical supply items appropriate for use in a care event as a bill of materials which is representative of at least one care event along a clinical pathway for a medical procedure, providing the information on said bill of materials to at least a first and second supplier of the medical supply items listed on said bill of materials, at the location of a first supplier of at least a portion of the medical supply items on said bill of materials, segregating from an inventory of medical supply items one or more distinct medical supply items as a first unit, each of said items being included on said bill of materials, but the total number of the items withdrawn being less than the total number of items on said bill of materials, selecting a container having a void volume which is greater than the volume required to contain said first unit of medical supply items, depositing said first unit of medical supply items in said container, and releasably closing said container, transporting said container to a second supplier of at least a portion of the medical supplies of the kind identified on said bill of materials, said second supplier being located remotely of said first supplier, at the location of said remotely located second supplier, opening said container, segregating from an inventory of medical supply items one or more distinct medical supply items as a second unit, each of said items being included on said bill of materials, but the total number of the items withdrawn being less than the total number of items on said bill of materials, opening said container, depositing said second unit in said container, and releasably closing said container, transporting said container with said first and second units of medical supplies contained therein to the site of said care event.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
346 words
A method for integration of the institutional supply chain for medical products utilizing a nested bill of materials on a care event level of a clinical pathway for one or more medical procedures comprising the steps of expressing a list of medical supply items appropriate for use in a care event as a bill of materials which is representative of at least one care event along a clinical pathway for a medical procedure, providing the information on said bill of materials to at least a first and second supplier of the medical supply items listed on said bill of materials, at the location of a first supplier of at least a portion of the medical supply items on said bill of materials, segregating from an inventory of medical supply items one or more distinct medical supply items as a first unit, each of said items being included on said bill of materials, but the total number of the items withdrawn being less than the total number of items on said bill of materials, selecting a container having a void volume which is greater than the volume required to contain said first unit of medical supply items, depositing said first unit of medical supply items in said container, and releasably closing said container, transporting said container to a second supplier of at least a portion of the medical supplies of the kind identified on said bill of materials, said second supplier being located remotely of said first supplier, at the location of said remotely located second supplier, opening said container, segregating from an inventory of medical supply items one or more distinct medical supply items as a second unit, each of said items being included on said bill of materials, but the total number of the items withdrawn being less than the total number of items on said bill of materials, opening said container, depositing said second unit in said container, and releasably closing said container, transporting said container with said first and second units of medical supplies contained therein to the site of said care event.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method of claim 1 and including the step of including a copy of said bill of materials in said container at the location of said first supplier, which bill of materials continues with said container to the site of said care event.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said step of expressing the list of medical supplies for a given care event as a bill of materials includes associating with each item of medical supplies on the list a unique identifier.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method of claim 3 wherein said identifier further includes a coded identification of the care event for which the medical supplies are intended, and the supplier of each item of medical supply on the list, thereby providing traceability of each of the items of medical supplies.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 3 wherein said identifier comprises alpha, numeric or a combination of alpha and numeric characters.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
85 words
The method of claim 1 and including the steps of transporting said container with said first and second units of medical supplies contained therein to a health care institution where that medical procedure is intended to occur, prior to delivery of the container to the site of said care event, opening said container at the health care institution, adding additional medical supplies to said container, releasably closing said container and thereafter delivering said container with said medical supplies to an end-user of said medical supplies.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2000-11-03 | 2001-05-05 | 2001-11-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2004-11-03 | 2005-05-05 | 2005-11-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2008-11-03 | 2009-05-05 | 2009-11-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |