System and method of tracking surgical sponges

#1. Technical Field

#The invention relates generally to an apparatus and method for tracking surgical supplies and, more specifically, to counting and accounting for all disposable surgical sponges used in a surgical procedure.

#2. Related Art

#While various embodiments of the invention have been described, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments and implementations are possible that are within the scope of this invention.

#FIG. 1 is an exemplary surgical supply tracking system (SSTS) employing the techniques of the claimed subject matter.

#FIG. 2 is an exemplary PC-based SSTS employing the techniques of the claimed subject matter.

#Although described with particular reference to a system for tracking surgical supplies within an operating room, the surgical supply tracking system (SSTS) of the disclosed subject matter can be implemented in any system in which it is desirable to count and/or track objects with a minimum of handling and a very high degree of accuracy.

#Selected portions of the SSTS can be implemented in software, hardware, or a combination of hardware and software. Hardware portions of the invention can be implemented using specialized hardware logic. Software portions can be stored in a memory and executed by a suitable computing system such as a microprocessor or a personal computer (PC). Furthermore, software of the SSTS, which comprises an ordered listing of executable instructions for implementing logical functions, can be embodied in any computer-readable medium for use by or in connection with the computing system.

#Turning now to the figures, FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary SSTS 100 for use in an operating room. A sponge container 101 includes a disposal opening 105 through which surgical sponges, such as a surgical sponge 111, are placed after use. For the purposes of this disclosure, a “surgical sponge” is any device or material used in either human or animal surgery for the purpose of absorbing blood or fluids, or for packing off, containing, or isolating bodily structures within a surgical field. The sponge container 101 includes rollers 115 to facilitate its movement within and outside the operating room. By pressing a foot pedal 109, a user of the SSTS 100 opens a door (not shown) in the disposal opening 105 so that the used surgical sponge 111 can be placed into the sponge container 101. In addition, the pressing of the foot pedal 109 causes hardware and/or software logic (not shown) in the SSTS 100 to activate a radiation source 103. The hardware and/or software logic, with input from a sensor (not shown), then calculates the number of sponges in the sponge container 101. Once the hardware and/or software logic has calculated the number of sponges in the sponge container 101, this number is displayed on a display 107. It should be apparent to those with skill in the electronic arts that the hardware and/or software logic of the SSTS 100 can be implemented in a number of ways, including, but not limited to, specialized circuits incorporating both hardware and software components.