# US 7,193,519 B2 · Reusable instruments and related systems and methods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,193,519 B2 - Document ID: US7193519B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 10/391,535 - Filed: 2003-03-18 - Published: 2004-03-04 - Granted: 2007-03-20 - Earliest claimed: 2002-03-18 - Assignees: Optim Corporation - Inventors: Thomas V. Root; Robert J. Krupa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7193519B2 ## CPC - A61B 1/00016: {using wireless means} - A61B 1/00059: {provided with identification means for the endoscope} - A61B 1/00062: {provided with means for preventing overuse} - A61B 1/121: {provided with means for cleaning post-use} - G06Q 30/04: Billing or invoicing - A61B 1/00029: {externally powered, e.g. wireless} - A61B 2560/0271: using a remote monitoring unit - A61B 2560/0276: Determining malfunction - A61B 2560/0456: Apparatus provided with a docking unit - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - 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 ## Abstract Reusable instruments, such as reusable medical instruments, and related systems and methods, are disclosed. In some embodiments, the reusable instrument can be an endoscope. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A reusable medical instrument having an identity and comprising: a) an instrument body having an interior and an exterior; b) an indicator that provides the identity of the reusable instrument and one or more status indicators that indicate at least one status selected from the group consisting of treatment status, procedure enablement status, and supply status of the reusable instrument, the indicators being integral with the instrument body, disposed on the exterior of the instrument body, or disposed in the interior of the instrument body, and c) one or more status adjustment devices capable of disabling the reusable instrument, the identity and status being obtainable from the indicators using an external data recognition device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The instrument of claim 1, wherein, at least one of the indicators comprises a complementary component of a magnetic device, an inductance device, an electrical device, an optical device, or a mechanical device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The instrument of claim 1, wherein, at least one of the indicators is a bar code, a dot code, a passive RF transmitter, a passive electrical device, a component of a mechanical key system, or a magnetically encoded device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The instrument of claim 1, wherein, at least one of the indicators can be read by a magnetic device, an inductance device, an electrical device, an optical device, or a mechanical device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The instrument of claim 1, wherein the reusable instrument is an endoscope. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein in the identity of the reusable instrument comprises a serial number of the reusable instrument, a product number of the reusable instrument, or both the serial number and the product number of the reusable instrument. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein a single indicator provides the identity of the reusable instrument and one or more of the treatment status, procedure enablement status, and supply status of the reusable instrument. ### Claim 8 A system, comprising: a reusable instrument having an identity, a power source and a light source, the reusable instrument comprising: an instrument body having an interior and an exterior; and an indicator, the indicator being integral with the instrument body, disposed on the exterior of the instrument body, or disposed in the interior of the instrument body; a data recognition device that reads data from the indicator to determine the identity of the reusable instrument, the data recognition device being external to the system, and one or more status adjustment devices capable of disabling the reusable instrument. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the reusable instrument is an endoscope. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the data recognition device comprises a complementary component of a magnetic device, an inductance device, an electrical device, an optical device, or a mechanical device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, further comprising an article, the data recognition device being coupleable to the article. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the article is a component for a treatment system for the reusable instrument, a holder for a reusable instrument that is removably housed in a treatment chamber for the reusable instrument, or a docking station for a holder for a reusable instrument that is removably housed within a treatment chamber for the reusable instrument. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the reusable instrument is a reusable medical instrument. ### Claim 14 A system, comprising: a reusable instrument comprising an indicator and one or more status adjustment devices capable of disabling the reusable instrument; an article, the article being a component of a treatment system for the reusable instrument, a holder for the reusable instrument that is removably housed in a treatment chamber of the treatment system, or a docking station for a holder for the reusable instrument that is removably housed within a treatment chamber of the treatment system; and a data recognition device, the data recognition device being integral with the article, disposed on an exterior of the article, or disposed in an interior of the article, wherein the data recognition device reads data from the indicator to recognize one or more of a serial number of the reusable instrument, a product number of the reusable instrument, a treatment status of the reusable instrument, or a procedure enablement status of the reusable instrument. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the recognition device comprises a complementary component of a magnetic device, an inductance device, an electrical device, an optical device, or a mechanical device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the data recognition device comprises a bar code reader, a dot code reader, a passive RF receiver, a passive electrical device, a component of a mechanical key system, or a magnetic reader. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the data recognition device reads the serial number or the product number of the reusable instrument, and the system further includes a treatment status data recognition device to read the treatment status of the reusable instrument. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the treatment status data recognition device comprises a complementary component of a magnetic device, an inductance device, an electrical device, an optical device, or a mechanical device. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, further comprising a procedure enablement status data recognition device to read the procedure enablement status of the endoscope. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19, wherein the procedure enablement status data recognition device comprises a magnetic device, an inductance device, an electrical device, an optical device, or a mechanical device. ### Claim 21 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the data recognition device reads the serial number or the product number of the endoscope, and the system further includes a procedure enablement status data recognition device to read the procedure enablement status of the endoscope. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The system of claim 21, wherein the procedure enablement status data recognition device comprises a magnetic device, an inductance device, an electrical device, an optical device, or a mechanical device. ### Claim 23 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the data recognition device reads the treatment status of the endoscope, and the system further includes a procedure enablement status data recognition device to read the procedure enablement status of the endoscope. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The system of claim 23, wherein the procedure enablement status data recognition device comprises a magnetic device, an inductance device, an electrical device, an optical device, or a mechanical device. ### Claim 25 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, further comprising a disabling device coupled to the article that can change the procedure enablement status of the reusable instrument to disable the reusable instrument. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The system of claim 25, wherein the disabling device comprises a complementary component of a device selected from the group consisting of magnetic devices, inductance devices, electrical devices, optical devices, and mechanical devices. ### Claim 27 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, further comprising a treatment status device coupled to the article that can change the treatment status of the reusable instrument to indicate that the reusable instrument has been treated since it was last used in a procedure. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The system of claim 27, wherein the treatment status device comprises a device selected from the group consisting of magnetic devices, inductance devices, electrical devices, optical devices, and mechanical devices. ### Claim 29 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, further comprising a treatment status device coupled to the article that can change the treatment status of the endoscope to indicate that the endoscope has been treated since it was last used in a procedure. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The system of claim 29, wherein the treatment status device comprises a device selected from the group consisting of magnetic devices, inductance devices, electrical devices, optical devices, and mechanical devices. ### Claim 31 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the reusable instrument is a reusable medical instrument. ### Claim 32 A system, comprising: a reusable instrument having an identity; an article, the article being the component for a treatment system for the reusable instrument, a holder for the reusable instrument that is removably housed in a treatment chamber of the treatment system, or a docking station for a holder for the reusable instrument that is removably housed within a treatment chamber of the treatment system; and a device coupled to the article that can disable the reusable instrument. ### Claim 33 (depends on 32) The system of claim 32, wherein the reusable instrument is an endoscope. ### Claim 34 (depends on 32) The system of claim 32, wherein said device is selected from the group consisting of magnetic devices, inductance devices, electrical devices, optical devices, and mechanical devices. ### Claim 35 (depends on 34) The system of claim 34, further comprising a treatment status device coupled to the article that can change the treatment status of the reusable instrument to indicate that the reusable instrument has been treated since it was last used in a procedure. ### Claim 36 (depends on 35) The system of claim 35, wherein the treatment status device comprises a device selected from the group consisting of magnetic devices, inductance devices, electrical devices, optical devices, and mechanical devices. ### Claim 37 (depends on 32) The system of claim 32, wherein the reusable instrument is a reusable medical instrument. ### Claim 38 A system, comprising: a reusable device having an identity; an article, the article being a component for a treatment system for the reusable instrument, a holder for the reusable instrument that is removably housed in a treatment chamber of the treatment system, or a docking station for a holder for the reusable instrument that is removably housed within a treatment chamber of the treatment system; a device coupled to the article that can disable the reusable instrument, and a treatment status device coupled to the article that can change a treatment status of the reusable instrument to indicate that the reusable instrument has been treated since it was last used in a procedure. ### Claim 39 (depends on 38) The system of claim 38, wherein the reusable instrument is an endoscope. ### Claim 40 (depends on 38) The system of claim 38, wherein the article is a treatment system. ### Claim 41 (depends on 40) The system of claim 40, wherein the treatment status device comprises a device selected from the group consisting of magnetic devices, inductance devices, electrical devices, optical devices, and mechanical devices. ### Claim 42 (depends on 38) The system of claim 38, wherein the reusable instrument is a reusable medical instrument.