The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 20, 1994
Filed:
Oct. 15, 1992
John I Shipp, Tullahoma, TN (US);
Life Surgery, Inc., Tullahoma, TN (US);
Abstract
A system for recycling and tracking of reusable surgical instruments includes a remotely located instrument sterilization and maintenance facility, electronically linked to a shipping carrier and a hospital facility. Orders for surgical instrument kits needed during a predetermined surgical schedule are placed electronically from the hospital site and transmitted to a host computer at the remote sterilization and maintenance facility. Instrument kits are stored at the sterilization and maintenance facility which also receives used instrument kits from the hospital. Decontamination, inspection, repair, recycling, and sterilization stations at the sterilization and maintenance facility allows for rapid, efficient, and low cost maintenance and repacking of used instruments for reuse at the hospital. Bar code readers connected to remote data terminals located at the hospital, at the maintenance facility and on board the shipping carrier track electronically the inventory and location of instruments needed by the hospital.