Chad W Chun

US Patent:

20060145856, Jul 6, 2006

Filed:

Feb 15, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/354080

Inventors:

Steven Tethrake - Collierville TN, US
Robert Varner - Germantown TN, US
Jeffrey Nycz - Collierville TN, US
Chad Chun - Hernando MS, US

International Classification:

G08B 13/14
G06F 17/00
G06Q 30/00

US Classification:

340572100, 235385000, 235375000

Abstract:

Systems and methods for processing surgical instrument tray shipping totes. A control system is adapted to control a bar code reader module, an RFID module, a database module and an interface module. The control system provides functionality adapted to process incoming and outgoing surgical instrument shipping totes containing one or more RFID-enabled surgical instrument trays. A database, ERP system or other system in communication with the control system alerts the operator of the status of an incoming tote and/or trays contained in the tote to increase processing efficiency and speed.

US Patent:

20070001839, Jan 4, 2007

Filed:

Sep 8, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/530105

Inventors:

Christopher Cambre - Collierville TN, US
Chad Chun - Hernando MS, US
Robert Varner - Germantown TN, US
Amy Shettler - Collierville TN, US
Steven Tethrake - Collierville TN, US

International Classification:

G08B 1/08

US Classification:

340539120

Abstract:

A control system for an RFID-based system for assembling and verifying outbound surgical equipment corresponding to a particular surgery. A user enters a identification number of a surgery. The control system queries a database of surgery information and outputs a list of required surgical equipment, such as surgical instrument sets. An operator uses the list to pick instrument sets for loading into a shipping tote. Each set is tagged with an RFID inventory tag that stores identification information for that set such as a set name and ID number. The shipping tote is passed through an RFID reader and identification data read from the tags is compared against the identification data for sets required for that surgery. A status indicator is activated to alert a user as to whether the surgery is complete that is, all expected sets are present, or that exception handling is required. The control system updates a database such as an ERP system to reflect that the surgery including the required sets has shipped—and the sets are inventoried out to the intended recipient.