Systems and methods for RFID-based medical implant identification

Abstract

Methods and systems for identifying medical implants. Data input is supplied by an operator including implant identification number, procedure date, and/or other patient record information. An RF module writes the data input to an RFID tag associated with and/or attached to the medical implant. Once the implant is set, but prior to closure, the RF module reads the data from the tag to insure readability. A data record including the data input and other procedure specific information may be automatically transmitted to a patient record management system in a medical facility.

1 . An RFID-based medical implant identification process comprising: 
 entering a first data input into a data processing system;    writing the first data input to a memory of an RFID tag associated with a medical implant; and    validating the data input stored in the tag after the medical implant is set.    
     
     
         2 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein entering a first data input comprises manually entering an identification number of a medical implant into the data processing system.  
     
     
         3 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein entering a first data input comprises scanning a bar code label associated with a medical implant with a bar code reader in communication with the data processing system.  
     
     
         4 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein entering a first data input comprises loading a patient record from a patient record management system into the data processing system.  
     
     
         5 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein writing the data to a memory of an RFID tag comprises transmitting an RF signal containing the data with an RF writer in communication with the data processing system, energizing a circuit in the tag with the signal and storing the information in a memory structure connected to the circuit.  
     
     
         6 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein validating the data input stored in the tag comprises performing an RFID read operation of the RFID tag associated with the medical implant while the implant is in the patient's body but prior to closure.  
     
     
         7 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the data processing system comprises an apparatus selected from the group consisting of a hand held RFID reader/writer, a hand held data processing system, a desktop data processing system, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         8 . The process according to  claim 1 , further comprising, after the step of validating, writing an electronic data record to a database.  
     
     
         9 . The process according to  claim 8 , wherein writing an electronic data record to a database comprises writing a record including at least a procedure date and an implant identification number to a patient record management system.  
     
     
         10 . The process according to  claim 9 , wherein writing a record including at least a procedure date and an implant identification number to a patient record management system comprises transmitting a signal from the data processing system to the patient record management system over a wireless network in a medical facility.  
     
     
         11 . A control system for an RF-enabled data processing system for medical implant identification, the control system comprising: 
 a data input module for receiving a data input corresponding to a medical implant;    an RF transceiver module adapted to write data from the data input to an RFID tag associated with the medical implant and to read the written data from the tag to validate that the data was written; and    an output module adapted to provide a visual indication to an operator based on the validation.    
     
     
         12 . The control system according to claim I  1 , wherein the data input is an identification number of the medical implant.  
     
     
         13 . The control system according to  claim 11 , wherein the data input is a patient medical record from a patient record management system.  
     
     
         14 . The control system according to  claim 11 , wherein the data input module comprises a device selected from the group consisting of a key hoard, a touch screen display, a bar code scanner, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         15 . The control system according to  claim 11 , wherein the RF transceiver module is adapted read the written data from the tag after the medical implant is surgically placed in the patient.  
     
     
         16 . The control system according to  claim 11 , further comprising a communication module adapted to access a remote patient record management system to obtain information corresponding to a patient associated with a medical implant.  
     
     
         17 . The control system according to  claim 16 , wherein the communication module is adapted to write a record of the medical implant to the patient record management system after validating that data was written to the tag.  
     
     
         18 . The control system according to  claim 15 , wherein the RF transceiver module is further adapted to detect any RFID-tagged surgical items remaining in a patient's body cavity as a result of placing the implant but prior to closure.  
     
     
         19 . A data processing system containing computer readable instructions stored therein for operating a medical implant identification system, the instructions comprising: 
 instructions for receiving a data input;    instructions for writing the data input to a memory of an RFID tag associated with a medical implant; and    instructions for validating that the data is readable after the medical implant is set in the patient.    
     
     
         20 . The data processing system according to  claim 19 , wherein the instructions for receiving a data input comprise instructions for receiving a keyboard input.  
     
     
         21 . The data processing system according to  claim 19 , wherein the instructions for receiving a data input comprise instructions for receiving a data input from a bar code scanner.  
     
     
         22 . The data processing system according to  claim 19 , wherein the instructions for receiving a data input comprise instructions for accessing a patient record management system and retrieving information form the patient record management system, said information comprising at least part of the data input.  
     
     
         23 . The data processing system according to  claim 19 , wherein the instructions for writing the data input to a memory of an RFID tag associated with a medical implant comprise instructions for transmitting an RF write signal including the data input to the tag.  
     
     
         24 . The data processing system according to  claim 19 , wherein the instructions for validating that the data is readable comprise instructions for transmitting an RF read signal to the tag, obtaining the stored information from the tag in response to the RF read signal, and comparing this information to the data input.  
     
     
         25 . The data processing system according to  claim 24 , further comprising instructions for activating an indication means based on comparing the read information to the data input.  
     
     
         26 . The data processing system according to  claim 19 , further comprising instructions for writing a record of the medical implant and data input to a database.  
     
     
         27 . The data processing system according to  claim 26 , wherein the instructions for writing a record of the medical implant and data input to a database comprise instructions for wirelessly transmitting the record to a patient record management system over a wireless network in a medical facility.