Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
  • A61M1/00—Suction or pumping devices for medical purposes; Devices for carrying-off, for treatment of, or for carrying-over, body-liquids; Drainage systems
  • A61M1/02—Blood transfusion apparatus
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
  • G09F—DISPLAYING; ADVERTISING; SIGNS; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; SEALS
  • G09F3/00—Labels, tag tickets, or similar identification or indication means; Seals; Postage or like stamps
  • G09F3/005—Identification bracelets, e.g. secured to the arm of a person
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
  • A61M1/00—Suction or pumping devices for medical purposes; Devices for carrying-off, for treatment of, or for carrying-over, body-liquids; Drainage systems
  • A61M1/02—Blood transfusion apparatus
  • A61M1/0286—Handling a large number of blood product units, e.g. storage cabinets, blood bank administration
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
  • A61M2205/00—General characteristics of the apparatus
  • A61M2205/60—General characteristics of the apparatus with identification means
  • A61M2205/6009—General characteristics of the apparatus with identification means for matching patient with his treatment, e.g. to improve transfusion security
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
  • A61M2205/00—General characteristics of the apparatus
  • A61M2205/60—General characteristics of the apparatus with identification means
  • A61M2205/6063—Optical identification systems
  • A61M2205/6072—Bar codes

Definitions

• the invention relates to a system for matching blood information with transfusion information prior to a blood transfusion, and in particular to a method and device for ensuring that records are only printed by the device when a successful test result is obtained.
• patient information on the blood-bag should be checked against identification on the patient, usually on a wristband, and if the details match then the transfusion is performed.
• These checks are usually carried out manually, by eye, and are susceptible to human error, especially if checks are not carried out at the patient's bedside and are made against patient notes instead of wristband identification.
• the I-TRAC system from Immucor provides a system which uses bar coded labels to identify and track blood samples, and to ensure matching data between a patient and blood prior to a blood transfusion.
• the system relies on the electronic transfer of information around the hospital.
• the device may produce a printed record for patient notes by electronic transfer of information to a portable printer.
• the Safe Track system from Olympus Datalog provides a similar system for producing and matching bar codes relating to data obtained from a remote central database.
• US4,835,372 describes a patient identification system which matches bar coded items such as drugs or blood samples to a patient's bar coded wristband.
• Portable bar code reading devices transmit information to a central database and which performs checks to ensure that the item scanned corresponds to the patient scanned.
• JP2001170174 describes a blood transfusion checking system whereby patient wristbands are scanned and checked against information relating to the intended patient and blood preparation information retrieved from a central database.
• the present invention offers a system that mitigates the above-identified problems.
• One aspect of the invention provides a system for matching blood information with transfusion information prior to a blood transfusion as specified in Claim 1.
• a further aspect of the invention provides apparatus for implementing the system of the invention as specified in Claim 13.
• a further aspect of the invention provides a method for checking that blood information matches transfusion information as specified in Claim 16.
• the system and method of the invention is intended to reduce risk of incorrect blood transfusion by providing a simpler system for automating manual checks, and forcing pre- transfusion checks to be carried out at the patient's bedside.
• Figure 1 is an illustration of a patient identification wristband with patient identifier code
• Figure 2 is an illustration of a compatibility label with identifier codes attached to a blood-bag
• Figure 3 is a perspective view of a code scanning device
• Figure 4 is a perspective view of a code scanning device with compatibility label inserted.
• Figure 5 is an illustration of a compatibility label complete with printed test results. Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments
• each patient is issued with an identification wristband (1) to be worn around the wrist at all times.
• the information on the wristband includes the patient's unique hospital identification code (2) along with a machine readable code (3) which represents their patient-unique code along with a further indicator code which is unique to wristbands.
• the machine readable code is a one-dimensional bar code and the letter W is used as a prefix for all wristband bar codes. For example, if the patient's unique identification code is 1234567 A, the bar code on the wristband represents the characters W1234567A.
• a compatibility label (4) is produced for that particular blood-bag (5).
• Information on the compatibility label identifies the patient to which the blood is intended to be administered.
• This information includes a machine readable code (6) which represents the intended patient's unique hospital identification code along with a further indicator code which is unique to compatibility labels.
• the machine readable patient identification code (6) is a one-dimensional bar code and the letter B is used as a prefix for all compatibility label bar codes. For example, if the intended patient's identification code is 1234567A, the bar code on the compatibility label represents the characters B1234567A.
• the compatibility label is securely fastened to the blood-bag.
• All staff members in the hospital are also allocated an identification code which is represented by a machine readable code on their hospital identification cards.
• the labelled blood-bag is delivered to the appropriate ward.
• a portable code scanning device is used to scan the machine readable codes in order to check the identity of the patient and the blood prior to a blood transfusion.
• a code scanning device is illustrated in Figure 3.
• the device comprises a portable, handheld box (8), with a screen (9) for delivering instructions to the user, and a slot (10) suitable for inserting a compatibility label.
• the device also comprises means for printing onto the compatibility label, and a chip programmed with software for recognising machine readable codes.
• a hand-held code scanner (11) is connected to the device. In an alternative embodiment the code scanner may be integral to the device.
• the device is powered by a rechargeable battery.
• FIG. 4 illustrates the device with compatibility label inserted.
• a motor mechanism within the device draws the end of the label into the device. If the label has been inserted correctly the screen will then display a message instructing the user to scan their staff identification code. For example the message "SCAN STAFF ID" may be displayed on the screen (9) of the device. The staff identification code is then scanned using the hand-held scanner (11).
• the scanned staff code In order to proceed, the scanned staff code must be of an acceptable staff identification code format. This code format will differ from that of wristband and blood-bag code formats. If the scanned staff code does not match the acceptable staff identification format, an error message will be displayed and the user will be prompted to re-scan a staff identification code.
• a message on-screen will then instruct the user to scan the patient identification code (6) on the compatibility label.
• the message "SCAN LABEL ID” may be displayed on the screen of the device.
• the label code remains visible to the user when the label is inserted into the device.
• the scanned label code In order to proceed, the scanned label code must be in acceptable compatibility label format, i.e. it must comprise a patient identification code plus a standard compatibility label identifier code.
• the label bar code In the example given, the label bar code must represent a patient identification code with a letter 'B' prefix. If the label code scanned does not match the compatibility label format for patient identification codes, an error message will be displayed and the user will be prompted to re-scan a compatibility label code.
• a message will then instruct the user to scan the wristband code (3).
• the message "SCAN WRISTBAND ID" may be displayed on the screen of the device. The patient's wristband is now scanned.
• the scanned wristband code In order to proceed, the scanned wristband code must be in acceptable wristband format, i.e. it must comprise a patient identification code plus a standard wristband identifier code.
• the wristband bar code In the example given, the wristband bar code must represent a patient identification code with a letter 4 W' prefix. If the code scanned does not match the wristband code format, an error message will be displayed and the user will be prompted to re-scan a wristband code.
• This procedure prevents a compatibility label code, or a wristband code being scanned twice which would provide a false positive identity check.
• the software within the device checks the identity of the patient identification codes contained within the compatibility label code and the wristband code. If both patient-unique codes are identical, the test is successful and the screen will display a message to this effect. For example the message "TEST PASSED" may be displayed on the screen of the device.
• the device will then print a record onto the bottom portion of the compatibility label contained within the device.
• a printed compatibility label is illustrated in figure 5.
• the printed record (12) includes the test result, the patient's identification code, the relevant staff identification code, and date and time information. The label is then ejected from the device.
• the bottom portion of the label (13) is a self-adhesive sticker that is then peeled away from the label and attached to the patient's records.
• a record is also printed onto a non-removable part of the compatibility label (14), this enables the compatibility label to be returned to the blood laboratory as a form of receipt. After standard verbal and visual checks and necessary observations have been made the blood transfusion is commenced.
• the test is unsuccessful. An error message will be displayed on the screen and the compatibility label is ejected from the device without a printed record.
• the system of the invention requires wristband codes to be scanned, and forces pre- transfusion checks to be carried out at the bedside of the patient. It also requires a positive identity test result in order to produce the printed record for the patient notes.
• the compatibility label also carries information about the blood donor, specifically the donation number of the donor, which is a donor-unique code.
• a machine readable code (7, Figure 2) represents the donor-unique code along with a differentiating element which is specific to compatibility label donor codes.
• the blood bag also carries the donation number of the blood.
• a machine readable code on the blood bag represents the donor-unique code along with a different differentiating element which is specific to blood bags.
• the code scanning device described above with reference to Figures 3 and 4 is programmed appropriately to distinguish between blood- bag donor codes and compatibility label donor codes. A blood-bag donor code is scanned and a compatibility label donor code is scanned.
• the test is successful. If the test is successful, a confirmatory message (15, Figure 5) is printed on the compatibility label. This procedure ensures that the compatibility label is attached to the correct blood-bag.
• the invention provides a simple and reliable procedure for matching blood information and transfusion information, and device for use in the procedure, that does not rely on obtaining information from a central database.

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• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Heart & Thoracic Surgery (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Biomedical Technology (AREA)
• Hematology (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Vascular Medicine (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Anesthesiology (AREA)
• Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
• Medical Preparation Storing Or Oral Administration Devices (AREA)
• Accommodation For Nursing Or Treatment Tables (AREA)

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• 2004
  • 2004-12-02 GB GB0426465A patent/GB2420893A/en not_active Withdrawn
• 2005
  • 2005-12-01 EP EP05816001A patent/EP1824386A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2005-12-01 WO PCT/GB2005/050224 patent/WO2006059156A1/en active Application Filing

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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