Method and system for monitoring the flow and usage of medical devices

Method for monitoring the flow and usage of a plurality of medical devices (4) in a hospital (2) environment, comprising the steps of:

• before shipping said plurality of medical devices (4) from a supplier (1) to a hospital (2), providing a plurality of individual medical device identification tags (17) connected to each one of said medical devices (4) and configured to provide a medical device identification information detectable at a distance and containing a medical device identification code which is unique for each of said medical devices (4) and,
• upon receiving said plurality of medical devices (4) in the hospital (2) store (13;
• 14), scanning said plurality of medical devices (4) with a hospital store entrance identification reader (36) to detect said individual medical device identification information provided by said individual medical device identification tags (12) and storing said medical device identification codes of the received medical devices (4) as entrance codes in a data base (31;28);
• when medical devices (4) leave the hospital (2) store (13;14) towards an operation theater block (9) or clinical department, scanning said medical devices (4) with a hospital store exit identification reader (34) to detect said individual medical device identification information provided by said individual medical device identification tags (12) and storing said medical device identification codes of the medical devices (4) which left the hospital store (13;
• 14) as exit codes in said data base (31;28);
• calculating a medical device stock level in the hospital store (13, 14) on the basis of the previously stored medical device identification entrance codes and medical device identification exit codes.