Invented by David Laborde, Brain Trust Innovations I LLC

and tracking medical data using RFID technology. The market for medical devices and technologies is constantly evolving, with new inventions and innovations being introduced to improve patient care and streamline healthcare processes. One such invention that has gained significant attention and potential is a system that incorporates RFID tags and device readers to capture and track medical data. RFID, or Radio Frequency Identification, is a technology that uses radio waves to automatically identify and track objects. It has been widely used in various industries, including retail, logistics, and transportation. However, its application in the healthcare sector has been gaining momentum in recent years. The invention in question involves the use of RFID tags attached to medical items, such as surgical instruments, medication containers, or even patient wristbands. These tags contain unique identification codes that can be read by RFID device readers. The device readers, which can be handheld or integrated into existing healthcare systems, capture the data from the RFID tags and transmit it to a central database or electronic medical record (EMR) system. The benefits of this system are numerous. Firstly, it eliminates the need for manual data entry, reducing the chances of human error and saving time for healthcare professionals. Secondly, it enables real-time tracking of medical items, ensuring their availability when needed and reducing the risk of loss or misplacement. Thirdly, it provides a comprehensive record of the medical items used during a procedure or treatment, facilitating accurate billing and inventory management. The potential market for this invention is vast. Hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities are constantly seeking ways to improve patient safety, enhance operational efficiency, and reduce costs. The use of RFID technology in capturing and tracking medical data aligns perfectly with these goals. It offers a solution to the challenges faced by healthcare professionals in managing and monitoring medical items, especially in high-pressure environments such as operating rooms or emergency departments. Furthermore, the global healthcare industry is experiencing rapid digitization, with the adoption of electronic health records and other digital systems. The integration of RFID technology into these systems allows for seamless data capture and transfer, enhancing the overall efficiency and accuracy of healthcare processes. In terms of market potential, the demand for RFID-based medical tracking systems is expected to grow significantly in the coming years. According to a report by Grand View Research, the global RFID in healthcare market is projected to reach USD 11.7 billion by 2027, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.4%. This growth is driven by factors such as the increasing need for inventory management, the rising focus on patient safety, and the growing adoption of IoT (Internet of Things) in healthcare. In conclusion, the market for the invention that relates to a system incorporating RFID tags and device readers for capturing and tracking medical data is poised for substantial growth. The benefits it offers in terms of improved patient safety, operational efficiency, and cost savings make it an attractive solution for healthcare facilities worldwide. As the healthcare industry continues to embrace digital transformation, the demand for RFID-based medical tracking systems is expected to soar, presenting significant opportunities for innovation and market expansion.

The Brain Trust Innovations I LLC invention works as follows

A system comprises a plurality RFID chips attached to a medical product, a device-reader such as a data-collection engine device and a server. The data collection engine transmits wireless power to RFID chips, and receives the first medical data while the RFID is activated by a power receiver. The data collection engine sends the server device a first message indicating the first medical data. “The server device can determine the position of the medical item and its risk state based on the first medical data.

Background for The invention relates to a system, medical item, including RFID tag and device reader. It also relates to a method of capturing medical information.

Medical facilities use or consume medical equipment and consumables in the process of providing patient care. Some examples include catheters and medication, surgical implants as well as sterile dressings, gloves, gowns and sterile wraps. Some medical items may only be used once during a particular procedure while others can be used again and again after sterile procedures have been completed, etc. For the sake of simplicity, these medical items are sometimes referred to as medical consumables or medical items. These types of medical products are usually handled by medical facilities.

A Radio-frequency Identification chip (RFID) can transmit information to the reader in response an interrogation or polling request. RFID chips can be embedded in tags (RFID tags) that are placed on medical consumable items to passively capture information. RFID tags can be active with their own power source or passive or battery-assisted with limited or no power source. For the sake of simplicity, we will refer to both battery-assisted and passive passive tags as passive types. Due to weight and other factors, it may not be possible to place an active-type RFID on certain medical consumables. A passive RFID tag may be a more viable option. However, power will be required to passively collect information. A device that could power the RFID tag and also obtain information from it would be useful for activity-based costing as well as to ensure proper charging.

When performing medical procedures, such as surgery it is important to avoid mistakes such as performing surgery in the wrong part of the body or performing the wrong procedure. These errors are often referred to by the term’surgical never events’. To avoid surgical never-events, it is important to know the location of the medical consumable, the patient’s position in relation to the medical item and the number of medical consumables consumed.

The present disclosure focuses on a system that captures medical data from medical consumable items which include an RFID chip.

According to different embodiments, the data collection engine (DCE) is a DCE, a plurality RFID chips that are associated with a number of medical consumables and a server.

The DCE consists of a power subsystem, a transmitter, a controller that is operatively connected to the transmitter, and a storage device that contains instructions for configuring a controller. The power transmission system includes a power supply and an antenna that wirelessly transmits power to a passive RFID chip. Transceiver is able to communicate wirelessly with RFID chips and a server device through a network connection, such as the Internet or cellular network. The controller can be configured to send messages from the transceiver device to the server. The DCE is also capable of communicating with client devices such as smartphones.

The RFID tags can be associated with the following medical consumables: an identification badge; a patient wrist band; a trash receptacle, spine instrumentation that measures information about stress/force/moment at native human/implant interfaces; medical catheters; sponges to assist in sponge count at end of operation and ensure that no sponge is left in the patient, hospital beds, surgical drain tip etc. RFID tags are associated with the following medical consumables: identification badges, patient wristbands, trash cans, spine instrumentation which measures stress, force, and moment at native human/implant Interfaces, medical catheters, sponges for sponge counting at the end of an operations to ensure no sponges remain in the patient’s body, hospital beds, surgical drainage tips, etc.

The RFID chip has an antenna that allows it to communicate with the DCE or other RFID chips, and/or client devices such as smartphones. The antenna of a passive RFID chip receives its power wirelessly from the DCE or another RFID chip, for instance, if the RFID chip is passive. The RFID chip also includes a controller that is configured by a memory or microcontroller for generating the messages to be sent and a sensor group.

The server device is comprised of a transceiver and a controller that are coupled together, as well as memory portions containing instructions on how to configure the controller and provide one or more databases relating to medical consumables. The DCE can be connected to the transceiver via a network connection.

The system can be shared between multiple locations (multi-tenant deployment of cloud) or deployed for one tenant (private cloud or enterprise cloud).

In a system based on a first embodiment of the invention, RFID chips transmit medical data from a DCE to the server, the DCE then transmits messages indicating the medical data, and the server stores the data in one or multiple databases. Client devices can request the retrieval of medical data. A number of events can also be determined at the RFID chip level.

Accordingly to a primary aspect of the first embodiment a first passive RFID chip is activated using power from the DCE’s power transmission subsystem or another RFID chip. The first RFID chip transmits medical data indicative a of a first incident to the DCE transceiver while activated by power received. The controller of DCE is configured in a way to generate a message indicating the first medical data that will be sent to the server via a network.

The DCE controller can be configured to store the identification data in the memory associated with the first RFID and generate the first message that includes the identification data. The controller can be configured so that the identification data is stored in the memory associated with the RFID chip, and the first message includes the identification data.

According to a third feature, the DCE transceiver is configured to receive a second set of medical data via a second RFID active chip with its own power supply. The controller of DCE is configured to further generate a second signal indicative of second medical data that will be sent to the server device by the transceiver via the network connection.

According to a fourth element, the second RFID can receive third medical information from a third RFID when the third RFID is closer or farther than a certain distance from the other RFID. According to the third aspect, the second medical data that is received by the DCE transceiver can also include the third data associated with the second and third RFID chip.

According to a fifth element, the power transmitting subsystem is further configured to transmit power to an RFID passive chip to activate the RFID chip. The DCE’s transceiver receives second medical information from a passive-type second RFID chip indicating a second event, when the third RFID is within a certain distance of the passive-type second RFID chip. The controller of DCE is configured in a way to generate a message indicating the second medical data that will be sent to the server by the transceiver via the network connection.

According to a sixth element, the RFID chip in the first aspect can be associated with a medical professional’s or patient’s identification, and first medical data include identification data of the RFID chip in the first aspect, location data, and time duration that the identification was in a certain location.

The controller of the seventh aspect is configured to create a message that includes the data stored request and send it to the server device.

Accordingly to an eighth aspect”, the transceiver is configured to receive a message from the DCE. The message includes at least a unique identification of the first RFID chip. The transceiver can also be configured to receive a request for information from a client device, and then send an information response including usage parameters related to the first RFID chip. The server device contains one or more memory resources that are operatively connected to the controller. Memory sources contain a database as well as instructions for configuring controller. The instructions configures the controller to determine data from the database associated with identification for the RFID chip that was requested in the information request, generate the information response including the usage parameters of the RFID chip on the basis of the determined data and store the data in the message received from the DCE to be associated to the identification.

The server device according to a 10th aspect includes a transceiver configured for receiving a plurality messages from the DCE in the first aspect; a controller coupled to this transceiver, and one or several memory sources coupled to the controller. These memory sources include instructions to configure the controller to determine, based on medical events contained in the plurality messages, whether a medical consumable associated with the RFID chip of the first aspect has been consumed.

In a second embodiment of the system, RFID chips transmit medical data from a DCE to a server device. The DCE then transmits messages indicating the medical data, and the device stores this data in a database. The server device, the DCE, or another entity can determine if events like a never event has happened, a consumption and/or charging event. A client device may request the retrieval of medical data.

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