# US 9,436,925 B2 · Inventory management

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- Number: US 9,436,925 B2
- Document ID: US9436925B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/504,030
- Filed: 2014-10-01
- Published: 2016-04-07
- Granted: 2016-09-06
- Earliest claimed: 2014-10-01
- Applicants: James Andrew Combs
- Inventors: James Andrew Combs
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9436925B2

## CPC

- G06Q 10/087: Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
- G06K 19/06028: {using bar codes}
- G06K 19/06037: {multi-dimensional coding}
- G06K 19/0614: {the marking being selective to wavelength, e.g. color barcode or barcodes only visible under UV or IR (methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers using a selected wavelength, see G06K7/12)}
- 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
- G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS

## Abstract

A device includes a code that is interpretable to identify a three-dimensional (3D) design specification by which a replacement for the device can be printed on a 3D printer.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
reading a code with on a medical device, the medical device being attachable to a person, wherein the code is interpretable to identify a three-dimensional (3D) design specification by which a replacement for the medical device can be printed on a 3D printer;
interpreting the code; and
transmitting the interpretation to a processor that holds the 3D design specification of the medical device that is identified by the interpretation,
receiving the 3D design specification of the medical device by a 3D printer; and
3D printing a new version of the medical device on the 3D printer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the medical device comprises a prosthesis.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein a first entity has physical access to the medical device, a second entity has physical access to the processor, and a third entity has physical access to the 3D printer.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3 wherein the first entity, second entity, and the third entity are different entities.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3 wherein the first entity, second entity, and the third entity are the same entity.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3 wherein two of the first entity, second entity, and the third entity are the same entity and the third of the first entity, second entity and the third entity is different from the other two entities.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
the processor determining that the requestor has a right to a new version of the medical device.

### Claim 8

An apparatus comprising:
a medical device, the medical device being attachable to a person;
a code on the medical device, wherein the code is interpretable to identify a three dimensional (3D) design specification by which a replacement for the medical device can be printed on a 3D printer.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the code comprises:
a first-texture area having a first texture;
a second-texture area having a second texture different from the first texture, wherein the second-texture area is bounded by the first-texture area; and
a machine-readable area containing a scannable code.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the scannable code is selected from a group consisting of a bar code, a two-dimensional bar code, and a high capacity color bar code.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the code area is bounded by the second-texture area.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the scannable code comprises portions of the code area that are raised relative to other portions of the code area.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the medical device comprises a prosthesis.

### Claim 14

A non-transitory computer-readable medium, on which is recorded a computer program, the program comprising executable instructions, that, when executed, perform a method comprising:
reading a code on a medical device, the medical device being attachable to a person, wherein the code is interpretable to identify a three-dimensional (3D) design specification by which a replacement for the medical device can be printed on a 3D printer;
interpreting the code; and
transmitting the interpretation to a processor that holds the 3D design specification of the medical device that is identified by the interpretation,
receiving the 3D design specification of the medial device by a 3D printer; and
3D printing a new version of the medical device on the 3D printer.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the medical device comprises a prosthesis.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein a first entity physical access to the medical device, a second entity physical access to the processor, and a third entity physical access to the 3D printer.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium claim 16 wherein the first entity, second entity, and the third entity are different entities.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium claim 16 wherein the first entity, second entity, and the third entity are the same entity.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium claim 16 wherein two of the first entity, second entity, and the third entity are the same entity and the third of the first entity, second entity and the third entity is different from the other two entities.

### Claim 20 (depends on 14)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:
the processor determining that the requestor has a right to a new version of the medical device.