# US 11,432,982 B2 · Relocation module and methods for surgical equipment

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- Number: US 11,432,982 B2
- Document ID: US11432982B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/528,832
- Filed: 2021-11-17
- Published: 2022-03-10
- Granted: 2022-09-06
- Earliest claimed: 2018-03-26
- Assignees: Augustine Biomedical + Design, LLC
- Applicants: Augustine Biomedical + Design, LLC
- Inventors: Scott D. Augustine; Susan D. Augustine; Garrett J. Augustine; Brent M. Augustine; Ryan S. Augustine; Randall C. Arnold
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11432982B2

## CPC

- A61G 13/108: {Means providing sterile air at a surgical operation table or area (treatment rooms A61G10/00; instruments or implements for sterile operation A61B90/00; sterilisation of air A61L9/00; purification of air in air-conditioning systems F24F3/16, F24F8/00)}
- A61B 50/13: Trolleys{, e.g. carts}
- A61B 50/15: Mayo stands; Tables
- A61B 90/94: coded with symbols, e.g. text
- A61B 90/96: using barcodes
- A61B 90/98: using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders
- A61M 5/1414: {Hanging-up devices}
- A61M 5/16845: {by weight}
- A61M 5/16895: {by monitoring weight change, e.g. of infusion container}
- A61M 16/06: Respiratory or anaesthetic masks
- A61M 16/18: Vaporising devices for anaesthetic preparations
- G06T 7/70: Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras (camera calibration G06T7/80)
- G06V 10/00: Arrangements for image or video recognition or understanding (character recognition in images or video G06V30/10)
- G16H 10/40: for data related to laboratory analysis, e.g. patient specimen analysis
- G16H 10/60: for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
- G16H 20/40: relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture
- G16H 30/20: for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
- G16H 40/63: for local operation
- G16H 40/67: for remote operation
- G16H 50/20: for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
- G16H 50/70: for mining of medical data, e.g. analysing previous cases of other patients
- A61B 46/10: specially adapted for instruments{, e.g. microscopes}
- A61B 90/50: Supports for surgical instruments, e.g. articulated arms
- A61B 2050/155: {Mayo stands}
- A61M 13/00: Insufflators for therapeutic or disinfectant purposes {, i.e. devices for blowing a gas, powder or vapour into the body (hand-held units in which gas flow is produced by muscular energy at the moment of use B05B11/062)}
- A61M 16/00: Devices for influencing the respiratory system of patients by gas treatment, e.g. ventilators (iron lungs A61H31/02); Tracheal tubes
- A61M 16/01: specially adapted for anaesthetising {(A61M16/104, A61M16/18 take precedence)}
- A61M 16/04: Tracheal tubes (catheters in general A61M25/00)
- A61M 2016/003: {with a flowmeter}
- A61M 2202/0208: Oxygen
- A61M 2202/0241: Anaesthetics; Analgesics
- A61M 2202/0275: Nitric oxide [NO]
- A61M 2202/0283: Nitrous oxide (N2O)
- A61M 2202/048: Anaesthetics
- A61M 2205/18: with alarm
- A61M 2205/3306: Optical measuring means
- A61M 2205/3334: Measuring or controlling the flow rate
- A61M 2205/3553: remote, e.g. between patient's home and doctor's office
- A61M 2205/3561: local, e.g. within room or hospital
- A61M 2205/3592: using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission
- A61M 2205/505: Touch-screens; Virtual keyboard or keypads; Virtual buttons; Soft keys; Mouse touches
- A61M 2205/52: with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
- A61M 2205/6054: Magnetic identification systems
- A61M 2205/6072: Bar codes
- A61M 2205/80: voice-operated command
- A61M 2209/084: Supporting bases, stands for equipment
- A61M 2210/04: Skin
- A61M 2210/0606: Face
- A61M 2230/04: Heartbeat characteristics, e.g. ECG, blood pressure modulation
- A61M 2230/06: Heartbeat rate only
- A61M 2230/10: Electroencephalographic signals
- A61M 2230/205: partial oxygen pressure (P-O2)
- A61M 2230/30: Blood pressure (A61M2230/04 takes precedence)
- A61M 2230/42: Rate
- A61M 2230/43: Composition of exhalation
- A61M 2230/46: Resistance or compliance of the lungs
- A61M 2230/50: Temperature
- B01D 46/0093: {against fire or explosion}
- G06F 16/10: File systems; File servers
- G06F 16/48: Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
- G06T 2207/20081: Training; Learning
- G06T 2207/30004: Biomedical image processing
- G06T 2210/41: Medical
- G16H 20/17: delivered via infusion or injection
- G16H 30/40: for processing medical images, e.g. editing
- A61G: TRANSPORT, PERSONAL CONVEYANCES OR ACCOMMODATION SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PATIENTS OR DISABLED PERSONS (appliances for aiding patients or disabled persons to walk A61H3/00); OPERATING TABLES OR CHAIRS; CHAIRS FOR DENTISTRY; FUNERAL DEVICES (embalming corpses A01N1/00)
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)}
- G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL
- G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING
- G16H: HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA
- B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28)
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

Module for housing electronic and electromechanical medical equipment including a portable digital camera and processing circuitry with machine vision and machine learning software for automatically documenting healthcare events and healthcare equipment operations in the electronic health record.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An automated data consolidation module including a module for housing waste-heat producing electronic and electromechanical medical equipment, and a system to receive and record data, the automated data consolidation module comprising:
a housing configured to house electronic and electromechanical medical equipment;
a cowling that substantially confines waste heat generated by the electronic and electromechanical medical equipment; and
at least one portable digital camera; and
processing circuitry in wired or wireless electrical communication with the portable digital camera to receive digital data produced by the portable digital camera;
wherein the digital data is automatically delivered to the processing circuitry and software, and the processing circuitry and software is configured to interpret the digital data and to automatically save the data representing the result of the interpretation to an electronic record or database.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The automated data consolidation module of claim 1, wherein the digital data from the portable digital camera is automatically delivered to the processing circuitry, and the processing circuitry and software is configured to perform at least one of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) analysis to identify specific visual elements of the image by matching the subject image to known images stored in an image library and automatically save the information provided by the matched specific visual elements of the image or the image itself to an electronic record or database.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The automated data consolidation module of claim 1, wherein the portable digital camera, processing circuitry and software is configured to photograph, analyze and record at least one of a QR code, a barcode or other coding technology that is attached to a medical item or device.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The automated data consolidation module of claim 3, wherein the QR code, barcode or other coding technology that is attached to a medical item or device identifies at least one of the type of item or device, the manufacturer of the item or device and the model of the item or device.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The automated data consolidation module of claim 1, wherein the portable digital camera includes a laser pointer to assist in aiming the camera at the subject item or device.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The automated data consolidation module of claim 1, wherein the portable digital camera includes a liquid crystal display (LCD) projector, a laser projector or cluster of lasers that can project an image such as a splattering paintball onto an item or device after an image of the item or device is successfully acquired by the portable digital camera.

### Claim 7 (depends on 3)

The automated data consolidation module of claim 3, wherein the QR code, barcode or other coding technology is attached to a subject medical item or device in a prescribed location on the medical item or device relative to the specific visual elements to be identified and the location of the QR code, barcode or other coding technology becomes a target for the laser pointer so that the scene is standardized and the portable camera is oriented to match the similarly structured scenes and camera orientations of the known images stored in an image library.

### Claim 8 (depends on 2)

The automated data consolidation module of claim 2, wherein the identified specific visual elements of the image constitute dose events or response events and the processing circuitry is configured to add time stamps or other indicators of time so that unrelated data can be temporally correlated during subsequent “big data” analysis.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The automated data consolidation module of claim 1, wherein the portable digital camera, processing circuitry and software may include machine vision capabilities for measuring distance or movement where the precise distance of the camera from a subject item or device is critical for accuracy and the portable digital camera includes two or more laser pointers mounted on opposite sides of the portable camera, separated from each other by one or more inches and the pointers are aimed inward to form a triangle with the two or more laser beams crossing each other at a prescribed point or distance in front of the portable camera where they form a single dot on the item or device when the portable camera is at the precise distance from the item or device.

### Claim 10

An automated data consolidation module, comprising:
a housing configured to house waste heat-producing electronic and electromechanical medical equipment; and
a cowling that substantially confines waste heat generated by the waste heat-producing electronic and electromechanical medical equipment; and
at least one handheld digital camera; and
processing circuitry in wired or wireless electrical communication with the handheld digital camera to receive and record digital data produced by the handheld digital camera;
wherein the digital data from the handheld digital camera is automatically delivered to the processing circuitry, and the processing circuitry and software is configured to perform at least one of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) analysis to identify specific visual elements of a image by matching the subject image to known images stored in an image library and automatically save the information provided by the matched specific visual elements of the image or the image itself to an electronic record or database.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The automated data consolidation module of claim 10, wherein the handheld digital camera, processing circuitry and software is configured to photograph, analyze and record at least one of a QR code, a barcode or other coding technology that is attached to a medical item or device.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The automated data consolidation module of claim 11, wherein the QR code, barcode or other coding technology that is attached to the medical item or device identifies at least one of the type of item or device, the manufacturer of the item or device and the model of the item or device.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The automated data consolidation module of claim 10, wherein the handheld digital camera includes a laser pointer to assist in aiming the camera at the subject item or device.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The automated data consolidation module of claim 10, wherein the handheld digital camera includes a liquid crystal display (LCD) projector, a laser projector or cluster of lasers that can project an image such as a splattering paintball onto an item or device after an image of the item or device is successfully acquired by the handheld digital camera.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The automated data consolidation module of claim 11, wherein the QR code, barcode or other coding technology is attached to a subject medical item or device in a prescribed location on the medical item or device relative to the specific visual elements to be identified and the location of the QR code, barcode or other coding technology becomes a target for the laser pointer so that the scene is standardized and the camera is oriented to match the similarly structured scenes and camera orientations of the known images stored in the image library.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The automated data consolidation module of claim 10, wherein the identified specific visual elements of the image constitute dose events or response events and the processing circuitry is configured to add time stamps or other indicators of time so that unrelated data can be temporally correlated during subsequent “big data” analysis.

### Claim 17 (depends on 10)

The automated data consolidation module of claim 10, wherein the handheld digital camera, processing circuitry and software may include machine vision capabilities for measuring distance or movement, where the precise distance of the camera from a subject item or device is critical for accuracy and the handheld digital camera includes two or more laser pointers mounted on opposite sides of the handheld camera, separated from each other by one or more inches and the pointers' laser beams are aimed inward to form a triangle with the two or more laser beams crossing each other at a prescribed point or distance in front of the camera where they form a single dot on the item or device when the camera is at the precise distance from the item or device.

### Claim 18

An automated data consolidation module including a module for housing unrelated electronic and electromechanical surgical equipment and a portable digital camera, including a system to receive and record data produced by the electronic and electromechanical medical equipment and the portable digital camera, the automated data consolidation module comprising:
a housing having a lower section and a tower-like upper section, wherein the lower section is configured to house unrelated electronic and electromechanical surgical equipment, and wherein the tower-like upper section is located on top of the lower section, wherein the upper section is configured to accommodate mounting of equipment controls, display screens and monitor screens at a convenient height for viewing and operating;
a cable and hose management system located on a patient side of the module, wherein the patient side of the module is configured to face a patient and provide the closest and most direct access to the patient; and
at least one portable digital camera; and
processing circuitry in wired or wireless electrical communication with the portable digital camera to receive digital data produced by the portable digital camera;
wherein the digital data from the portable digital camera is automatically delivered to the processing circuitry, and the processing circuitry and software is configured to perform at least one of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) analysis to identify specific visual elements of a image by matching the subject image to known images stored in an image library and automatically save the information provided by the matched specific visual elements of the image or the image itself to an electronic record or database.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The automated data consolidation module of claim 18, wherein the portable digital camera, processing circuitry and software is configured to photograph, analyze and record at least one of a QR code, a barcode or other coding technology that is attached to a medical item or device.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The automated data consolidation module of claim 19, wherein the QR code, barcode or other coding technology that is attached to the medical item or device identifies at least one of the type of item or device, the manufacturer of the item or device and the model of the item or device.

### Claim 21 (depends on 18)

The automated data consolidation module of claim 18, wherein the portable digital camera includes a laser pointer to assist in aiming the camera at the subject item or device.

### Claim 22 (depends on 18)

The automated data consolidation module of claim 18, wherein the portable digital camera includes a liquid crystal display (LCD) projector, a laser projector or cluster of lasers that can project an image such as a splattering paintball onto an item or device after an image of the item or device is successfully acquired by the portable digital camera.

### Claim 23 (depends on 19)

The automated data consolidation module of claim 19, wherein the QR code, barcode or other coding technology is attached to a subject medical item or device in a prescribed location on the medical item or device relative to the specific visual elements to be identified and the location of the QR code, barcode or other coding technology becomes a target for the laser pointer so that the scene is standardized and the portable camera is oriented to match the similarly structured scenes and camera orientations of the known images stored in the image library.

### Claim 24 (depends on 18)

The automated data consolidation module of claim 18, wherein the identified specific visual elements of the image constitute dose events or response events and the processing circuitry is configured to add time stamps or other indicators of time so that unrelated data can be temporally correlated during subsequent “big data” analysis.

### Claim 25 (depends on 18)

The automated data consolidation module of claim 18, wherein the portable digital camera, processing circuitry and software may include machine vision capabilities for measuring distance or movement, where the precise distance of the camera from a subject item or device is critical for accuracy and the portable digital camera includes two or more laser pointers mounted on opposite sides of the portable camera, separated from each other by one or more inches and the pointers' laser beams are aimed inward to form a triangle with the two or more laser beams crossing each other at a prescribed point or distance in front of the camera where they form a single dot on the item or device when the camera is at the precise distance from the item or device.

### Claim 26

An automated data consolidation module including a module for housing one or more of electronic and electromechanical medical equipment, a portable digital camera and a system to measure administration of one or more IV medications or fluids for IV administration and a system to receive and record data produced by the portable digital camera and the system to measure administration of one or more IV medications or fluids, the automated data consolidation module comprising:
a housing configured to house one or more of electronic and electromechanical medical equipment;
a cowling that substantially confines the one or more of electronic and electromechanical medical equipment; and
one or more portable digital cameras; and
a system for measuring and recording the administration of the one or more IV medications and fluids, the system comprising:
a barcode reader or an RFID interrogator configured to identify at least one of the one or more IV medications or fluids; and
a machine vision digital camera in electrical communication with processing circuitry configured to determine a volume of medication administered from a syringe or fluid administered from an IV bag through an IV drip chamber into an IV tubing based on an image generated by the machine vision digital camera; and
processing circuitry in wired or wireless electrical communication with the system for measuring and recording the administration of the one or more IV medications and fluids and the portable digital camera to receive digital data produced by the system for measuring and recording the administration of the one or more IV medications and fluids and the portable digital camera;
wherein the digital data from the system for measuring and recording the administration of the one or more IV medications and fluids is automatically delivered to the processing circuitry, and the processing circuitry is configured to automatically save the digital data to an electronic record or database;
wherein the digital data from the portable digital camera is automatically delivered to the processing circuitry, and the processing circuitry and software is configured to perform at least one of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) analysis to identify specific visual elements of a image by matching the subject image to known images stored in an image library and automatically save the information provided by the matched specific visual elements of the image or the image itself to an electronic record or database.

### Claim 27 (depends on 26)

The automated data consolidation module of claim 26, wherein the portable digital camera, processing circuitry and software is configured to photograph, analyze and record at least one of a QR code, a barcode or other coding technology that is attached to a medical item or device and the QR code, barcode or other coding technology that is attached to the medical item or device identifies at least one or more of the type of item or device, the manufacturer of the item or device and the model of the item or device.

### Claim 28 (depends on 26)

The automated data consolidation module of claim 26, wherein the portable digital camera includes a laser pointer to assist in aiming the camera at the subject item or device.

### Claim 29 (depends on 27)

The automated data consolidation module of claim 27, wherein the QR code, barcode or other coding technology is attached to a subject medical item or device in a prescribed location on the medical item or device relative to the specific visual elements to be identified and the location of the QR code, barcode or other coding technology becomes a target for the laser pointer so that the scene is standardized and the portable digital camera is oriented to match the similarly structured scenes and camera orientations of the known images stored in the image library.

### Claim 30 (depends on 26)

The automated data consolidation module of claim 26, wherein the portable digital camera, processing circuitry and software may include machine vision capabilities for measuring distance or movement, where the precise distance of the camera from a subject item or device is critical for accuracy and the portable digital camera includes two or more laser pointers mounted on opposite sides of the portable camera, separated from each other by one or more inches and the pointers' laser beams are aimed inward to form a triangle with the two or more laser beams crossing each other at a prescribed point or distance in front of the camera where they form a single dot on the item or device when the camera is at the precise distance from the item or device.