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US 6,187,540 B1Granted
Method of newborn identification and tracking
AssigneeIdentigene, Inc.
InventorsRick Staub, Caroline Caskey
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of ensuring that each newborn infant is identified at birth and maintaining the correct newborn and mother pairing at least until discharge of the mother and child. The method involves genotyping the infant and/or birth mother at one or more times.
Claims20
A method for systematically ensuring that all newborn/mother pairings are correct at discharge, said method comprising:
- a) obtaining a first sample of newborn cells at the birth of each newborn in a hospital;
- b) storing said first sample in a tamper-proof collection device;
- c) forwarding said tamper-proof collection device to a genotyping location;
- and
- d) examining said tamper-proof collection device to ensure that tampering has not occurred;
- e) genotyping said first sample to provide a first newborn fingerprint;
- f) obtaining a second sample of cells from said each newborn in a hospital prior to discharge and handing said second sample in accordance with steps b, c and d;
- g) genotyping said second sample to provide a second newborn fingerprint;
- and
- h) comparing each of said first and second newborn fingerprints, wherein substantial identity of the first and second newborn fingerprints indicates that said newborn/mother pairing is correct at discharge.
7 more elements
A method for systematically ensuring that each newborn and mother are related at discharge, said method comprising:
- a) obtaining discharge samples of newborn cells from each newborn in a hospital and maternal cells from each mother in a hospital prior to discharge;
- p1 b) genotyping each of said discharge-samples to provide a discharge newborn fingerprint and a discharge maternal fingerprint;
- and
- c) comparing each of said discharge newborn fingerprint and said discharge maternal fingerprint, wherein about 50% identity between said fingerprints indicates that said newborn and said mother are related at discharge.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.