# US 2020/0401992 A1 · Method and apparatus for inventory control in medical treatment areas > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2020/0401992 A1 - Document ID: US20200401992A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/009,701 - Filed: 2020-09-01 - Published: 2020-12-24 - Earliest claimed: 2008-12-03 - Assignees: CareFusion 303, Inc. - Applicants: CareFusion 303, Inc. - Inventors: Robert Andrew SOBIE, III - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200401992A1 ## CPC - G06Q 10/087: Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders - G06Q 10/0877: {by inventory control or reporting using inventory tracking or counting} - G06Q 10/10: Office automation; Time management - G06Q 50/22: Social work or social welfare, e.g. community support activities or counselling services - G16H 10/60: for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records - G16H 40/20: for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G16H: HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA ## Abstract A system and method for assigning a medical device to a patient is disclosed. A method includes determining, responsive to determining that a wireless connection is formed between a first wireless communication device of a medical device and a second wireless communication device inside a medical treatment area currently associated with a patient of a medical facility, that the medical device moved into the medical treatment area currently associated with the patient, automatically, responsive to detecting that the medical device moved into to the medical treatment area associated with the patient, obtaining device identity information from the medical device, and updating, based on the obtained device identity information, a patient record of the patient currently associated with the treatment area to reflect that the medical device has been assigned to the patient currently associated with the treatment area. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of assigning a medical device to a patient, comprising: determining, by one or more computing devices, that a wireless connection is formed between a first wireless communication device of a medical device and a second wireless communication device inside a medical treatment area currently associated with a patient of a medical facility, wherein the wireless connection is formed when the first and second wireless devices are within a predetermined wireless range associated with the medical treatment area; determining, by the one or more computing devices, responsive to determining that the wireless connection is formed, that the medical device moved into the medical treatment area currently associated with the patient; and automatically, by the one or more computing devices, responsive to detecting that the medical device moved into to the medical treatment area currently associated with the patient: obtaining device identity information from the medical device; and updating, based on the obtained device identity information, a patient record of the patient currently associated with the medical treatment area to reflect that the medical device has been assigned to the patient currently associated with the treatment area. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining, based on the obtained identify information, before updating the patient record, whether a medical device record associated with the medical device exists in a first storage system accessible through an electronic network of the medical facility. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising: determining that the medical device record does not exist in the first storage system; obtaining, based on the identity information, product information pertaining to the medical device from an remote storage system different than the first storage system; creating, based on the product information, the medical device record associated with the medical device; and storing the medical device record in first storage system. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining, by the one or more computing devices, that the medical device was removed from the medical treatment area based on the first wireless communication device of the medical device no longer being detected within the predetermined wireless range of the second wireless communication device; and updating, responsive to the first wireless communication device no longer being detected within the predetermined wireless range of the second wireless communication device, the patient record to reflect that the medical device has been discharged from the patient. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving rejection of the medical device; and performing a search for replacement medical device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: updating, in connection with assigning the medical device to the patient, a billing record to reflect that the patient has used the medical device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: limiting a power level of the medical device to a level corresponding to the predetermined wireless range. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: automatically obtaining, in response to detecting that the medical device moved into to the medical treatment area currently associated with the patient, a patient record of the patient associated with the medical treatment area. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: exchanging with the medical device, over the wireless connection, one or more patient records, the one or more patient records including the patient record of the patient associated with the medical treatment area. ### Claim 10 A system, comprising: a storage system configured to store medical device information; and one or more computing devices, the one or more computing devices configured to: determine that a wireless connection is formed between a first wireless communication device of a medical device and a second wireless communication device inside a medical treatment area currently associated with a patient of a medical facility, wherein the wireless connection is formed when the first and second wireless devices are within a predetermined wireless range associated with the medical treatment area; determine, responsive to determining that the wireless connection is formed, that the medical device moved into the medical treatment area currently associated with the patient; automatically responsive to detecting that the medical device moved into to the medical treatment area currently associated with the patient: obtain device identity information from the medical device; update, based on the obtained device identity information, a patient record of the patient currently associated with the treatment area to reflect that the medical device has been assigned to the patient currently associated with the treatment area. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more computing devices are further configured to: determining, based on the obtained identify information, before updating the patient record, whether a medical device record associated with the medical device exists in a first storage system accessible through an electronic network of the medical facility. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more computing devices are further configured to: determining that the medical device record does not exist in the first storage system; obtaining, based on the identity information, product information pertaining to the medical device from an remote storage system different than the first storage system; creating, based on the product information, the medical device record associated with the medical device; and storing the medical device record in first storage system. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more computing devices are further configured to: determining, by the one or more computing devices, that the medical device was removed from the treatment area based on the first wireless communication device of the medical device no longer being detected within the predetermined wireless range of the second wireless communication device; and updating, responsive to the first wireless communication device no longer being detected within the predetermined wireless range of the second wireless communication device, the patient record to reflect that the medical device has been discharged from the patient. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more computing devices are further configured to: receiving rejection of the medical device; and performing a search for replacement medical device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more computing devices are further configured to: updating, in connection with assigning the medical device to the patient, a billing record to reflect that the patient has used the medical device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the predetermined wireless range is based on physical or electromagnetic barriers that prevent a transmitting or receiving of wireless communication signals outside of the medical treatment area. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more computing devices are further configured to: automatically obtain, in response to detecting that the medical device moved into to the medical treatment area currently associated with the patient, a patient record of the patient currently associated with the treatment area. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more computing devices are further configured to: exchange with the medical device, over the wireless connection, the patient record of the patient currently associated with the treatment area. ### Claim 19 A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause the one or more computing devices to perform a method, comprising: determining that a wireless connection is formed between a first wireless communication device of a medical device and a second wireless communication device inside a medical treatment area currently associated with a patient of a medical facility, wherein the wireless connection is formed when the first and second wireless devices are within a predetermined wireless range associated with the medical treatment area; determining, responsive to determining that the wireless connection is formed, that the medical device moved into the medical treatment area currently associated with the patient; automatically, responsive to detecting that the medical device moved into to the medical treatment area currently associated with the patient: obtaining device identity information from the medical device; updating, based on the obtained device identity information, a patient record of the patient currently associated with the treatment area to reflect that the medical device has been assigned to the patient currently associated with the treatment area. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, the method further comprising: determining, based on the obtained identify information, before updating the patient record, whether a medical device record associated with the medical device exists in a first storage system accessible through an electronic network of the medical facility.