阅读说明：本技术 用于操控器械的器械盒 (Instrument box for operating instrument ) 是由 G·沃尔蒂 于 2018-07-05 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明公开了一种用于操控器械的器械盒(100,200,300),器械盒包括用于保持器械的主体区段(101,201,301)和可从远离器械盒(100,200,300)的距离读取的射频标识符(102,202,302)。器械盒(100,200,300)的射频标识符(102,202,302)有助于跟踪操作,所述操作诸如是灭菌、消毒、修复和临床使用,借助于器械盒(100,200,300)针对所操控的器械套件进行所述操作或者借助于器械盒由所操控的器械套件进行所述操作。该器械可以是例如医疗和/或牙科手持式器械。(An instrument cartridge (100, 200, 300) for manipulating an instrument, the instrument cartridge comprising a body section (101, 201, 301) for holding the instrument and a radio frequency identifier (102, 202, 302) readable from a distance away from the instrument cartridge (100, 200, 300). The radio frequency identifier (102, 202, 302) of the cartridge (100, 200, 300) facilitates tracking operations, such as sterilization, disinfection, repair, and clinical use, performed by or against the manipulated kit by means of the cartridge (100, 200, 300). The instrument may be, for example, a medical and/or dental hand-held instrument.)

1. An instrument cartridge (100, 200, 300) for handling an instrument, the instrument cartridge comprising a body section (101, 201, 301) for holding the instrument, characterized in that the instrument cartridge further comprises a radio frequency identifier (102, 202, 302) readable from a distance remote from the radio frequency identifier.

2. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein a portion of the cartridge, which is a body section or another portion mechanically connected to the body section, constitutes a cavity (103, 203, 303) and the radio frequency identifier is located in the cavity.

3. The cartridge according to claim 2, wherein the cartridge further comprises a closure element (104, 204, 304) closing the opening of the cavity.

4. The cartridge of claim 3, wherein the closure element is arranged to hold the radio frequency identifier stationary relative to the portion of the cartridge that constitutes the cavity, the radio frequency identifier loosening relative to the portion of the cartridge in response to removal of the closure element.

5. An instrument cassette according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the surface of the cavity and the closure element constitute a hermetically sealed chamber for the radio frequency identifier.

6. The instrument cartridge of any of claims 2-5, wherein the cavity (103, 203, 303) is an elongated slot and the radio frequency identifier comprises an elongated antenna structure (205, 206).

7. The instrument cartridge of any of claims 3-5, wherein the cavity (103, 203, 303) is an elongated slot, the radio frequency identifier comprises an elongated antenna structure (205, 206), and the closure element (104, 205, 204) is an elongated rod enclosing the elongated slot.

8. The cartridge according to any of claims 1-7, wherein the cartridge further comprises a cover element (107, 108, 307, 308) covering a space for accommodating an operating portion of the instrument to prevent inadvertent contact with the operating portion of the instrument.

9. The cartridge of any of claims 2-8, wherein the portion of the cartridge that constitutes the cavity is non-destructively detachable from the body section.

10. The cartridge according to any of claims 2-9, wherein the portion of the cartridge constituting the cavity is a cover element (308) covering a space for accommodating an operative portion of the instrument to prevent inadvertent contact with the operative portion of the instrument.

11. The cartridge according to any of claims 2-8, wherein the part of the cartridge constituting the cavity is the body section (101, 201) of the cartridge.

12. The instrument cartridge of claim 11, wherein the opening of the cavity is located on an outer wall portion of the body section.

13. The instrument cartridge of claim 12, wherein the opening of the cavity is located on a bottom of the body section and the opening of the cavity is located on an opposite side relative to a space for receiving the instrument.

14. An instrument cartridge according to claim 12 or 13, wherein a portion (120) of the body section for mechanically supporting the instrument is shaped to constitute the cavity.

15. The cartridge according to any of claims 3-14, wherein the closure element is attached to a surface of the cavity by glue (212).

16. The cartridge according to any of claims 3-14, wherein the closure element is formed from a material that is cast in the opening of the cavity after the radio frequency identifier has been inserted into the cavity.

17. The instrument cartridge of any of claims 1-16, wherein the material of the body section is electrically non-conductive.

18. The instrument cartridge of claim 17, wherein the material of the body section comprises plastic.

19. The cartridge of claim 18, wherein the plastic comprises polyphenylene sulfide (PPS).

20. The cartridge according to any of claims 3-19, wherein the closure element is made of a flexible material.

21. The instrument cartridge of claim 20, wherein the flexible material comprises silicone.

22. The cartridge according to claim 20 or 21, wherein the cavity and flexible closure element are dimensioned such that the flexible closure element is compressed in response to insertion into the cavity.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a cartridge for manipulating an instrument, which may be, for example but not necessarily, a medical or dental hand-held instrument. The instrument cassette may be used to hold instruments, for example, when the instruments are sterilized by autoclaving.

Background

In many cases, authorities and executives in the medical or dental field desire a reliable and traceable solution for tracking instruments so as to be able to track sterilization, disinfection, repair, clinical use, and other operations carried out or performed with the instrument in question. Today, users often do not have the time and willingness to manually generate reports due to the associated workload. In addition, the identification of the instrument and the manual data recording are at risk of errors, which prevents the manually recorded data from being regarded as irreparable proof of completion and incompletion.

A known solution to track operations directed to or performed by instruments is to provide each instrument with a unique identifier, e.g., a radio frequency identifier "RFID". For example, the publication WO2008062387 describes an instrument comprising a radiofrequency identifier. The radio frequency identifier is embedded in a polymer sheet that is attached to the surface of the instrument handle. The polymeric sheet including the radio frequency identifier may be wrapped around a handle of the instrument, for example. In order to obtain a flat surface, it is possible to provide the device with recesses of a size corresponding to the polymer sheet. In an advantageous embodiment described in WO2008062387, the polymer sheet comprises two layers, the radio frequency identifier being located between said two layers. However, in many cases, it may be desirable to track operations directed to or performed by a particular instrument suite. Accordingly, other solutions are needed that are capable of tracking operations directed to or performed by a kit of instruments.

Disclosure of Invention

The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some embodiments of the invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is intended to neither identify key or critical elements of the invention nor delineate the scope of the invention. The following summary merely presents some concepts of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to a more detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention.

In many cases, instruments are handled by means of instrument cassettes, each of which is adapted to hold an instrument set during, for example, an autoclave sterilization process. The kit placed in the cartridge may comprise, for example, medical and/or dental hand-held instruments as required for performing a given measure.

According to the present invention, a new cartridge for manipulating an instrument, such as a medical or dental hand-held instrument, is provided.

The instrument box comprises:

-a main body section for holding an instrument; and

-a radio frequency identifier "RFID", which radio frequency identifier can be read from a distance remote from the radio frequency identifier.

The radio frequency identifier of the cartridge facilitates tracking operations, such as sterilization, disinfection, repair, and clinical use, that are performed with or with a kit manipulated with the cartridge.

Numerous exemplary and non-limiting embodiments are described in the appended dependent claims.

Various exemplary and non-limiting embodiments as to construction and methods of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific exemplary and non-limiting embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

The verbs "comprise" and "comprise" are used in this document as open-ended limitations that neither exclude nor require the presence of unrecited features. The features recited in the dependent claims may be freely combined with each other, unless explicitly stated otherwise. Furthermore, it should be understood that the use of "a" or "an" (i.e., singular forms) throughout the document does not exclude a plurality.

Drawings

Exemplary and non-limiting embodiments and advantages thereof are described in more detail below, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

1a, 1b, 1c, 1d and 1e show an instrument cartridge according to an exemplary and non-limiting embodiment;

FIGS. 2a, 2b, 2c and 2d illustrate an instrument cartridge and a process of installing a radio frequency identifier "RFID" in the instrument cartridge according to an exemplary and non-limiting embodiment; and

fig. 3a and 3b show an instrument cartridge according to an exemplary and non-limiting embodiment.

Detailed Description

The specific examples provided in the following description should not be construed as limiting the scope and/or applicability of the appended claims. The list and set of examples provided in the description are not exhaustive unless explicitly stated otherwise.

Fig. 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d and 1e show an instrument cartridge 100 according to an exemplary and non-limiting embodiment. Fig. 1a shows a top view, fig. 1B shows a side view, fig. 1c shows a bottom view, fig. 1d shows a cross-sectional view taken along line a-a in fig. 1c, and fig. 1e shows a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in fig. 1 c. The cross-section associated with fig. 1d is parallel to the yz-plane of coordinate system 199 and the cross-section associated with fig. 1e is parallel to the xz-plane of coordinate system 199. The cartridge 100 includes a body section 101 for holding instruments such as medical or dental hand-held instruments. In the exemplary case shown in fig. 1a-1 c, there are three exemplary instruments in the instrument cartridge 100. One of the exemplary instruments is indicated by reference numeral 111. The instrument is not shown in the cross-sectional views shown in fig. 1d and 1 e. The exemplary instrument cartridge 100 includes two sections 113 and 114 for the operative portion of the instrument. The operative portion may be a blade such as a knife. However, it is also possible that there is only one section for the operating portion of the instrument. The material of the body section 101 is advantageously non-conductive, so that radio frequency radiation can penetrate the material of the body section. The material of the body section 101 may comprise, for example, a plastic, which may comprise, for example, polyphenylene sulfide "PPS". The instrument cartridge 100 includes cover members 107 and 108, and the cover members 107 and 108 cover a space for accommodating an operating portion of the instrument to prevent accidental contact with the operating portion of the instrument. In the exemplary instrument box 100, the cover members 107 and 108 are hinged to the body section 101. However, it is also possible, according to an exemplary embodiment, for the one or more cover elements to be form-locked with or otherwise mechanically connected to the body section of the cartridge. It is also possible that the cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment does not comprise any cover element of the above-mentioned type. In the exemplary situation shown in fig. 1a and 1b, the cover element 108 is in the open position. The cover elements 107 and 108 are advantageously provided with holes which promote the contact of the hot steam with the operative parts of the instrument during the autoclaving process. In fig. 1a, one of the holes of the cover element 107 is indicated with reference numeral 109. Accordingly, the bottom of the sections 113 and 114 for receiving the operative portion of the instrument are advantageously provided with holes. In fig. 1a and 1c, one of the holes at the bottom of the section 114 is shown with reference numeral 110. In addition, the side walls of the sections 113 and 114 may also be provided with holes.

The instrument cartridge 100 includes a radio frequency identifier "RFID" that is readable from a distance away from the radio frequency identifier. In fig. 1d and 1e, the radio frequency identifier is denoted with reference numeral 102. In this exemplary case, the radio frequency identifier 102 is located in the cavity 103 of the body section 101. The instrument cartridge 100 comprises a closing element 104, which closing element 104 closes the opening of the cavity 103 and together with the surface of the cavity constitutes a space for the radio frequency identifier 102. Advantageously, the radio frequency identifier 102 is not substantially directly attached to the body section 101, but the closure element 104 keeps the radio frequency identifier 102 stationary relative to the body section 101. In this exemplary case, the radio frequency identifier 102 is replaced directly with another radio frequency identifier after the closure element 104 has been removed. Advantageously, the surfaces of the closing element 104 and the cavity 103 constitute a hermetically sealed chamber for the radiofrequency identifier 102. In this exemplary case, the radio frequency identifier 102 is protected from, for example, environmental conditions, such as hot steam used in an autoclave sterilization process. The closure element 104 may be made of a flexible material, which may include, for example, silicone. However, it is also possible that the radio frequency identifier of the cartridge according to another exemplary embodiment is attached to a surface of the cavity, so that no closing element for closing the opening of the cavity is required. Furthermore, it is also possible to attach the radio frequency identifier of the cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment to a surface of the body section or another element of the cartridge, such that the radio frequency identifier is not in a cavity or the like.

The radio frequency identifier 104 may be, for example, but need not be, a ceramic radio frequency identifier tag. The radio frequency identifier 102 may include, for example, but need not be, a memory circuit capable of storing digital information. The digital information may include, for example: identification information that identifies the cartridge 100 as a separate object from similar cartridges; and/or indicating information indicating, for example, the date of manufacture of the cartridge, the manufacturer of the cartridge; and/or other information directly or indirectly related to the cartridge. Further, the digital information may indicate the number of sterilization cycles performed using the instrument cartridge 100. However, it is also possible that the radio frequency identifier 102 does not comprise any memory circuitry, but that the identification information related to the radio frequency identifier 102 is represented, for example, by radiation characteristics of the radio frequency identifier 102.

In the exemplary instrument cartridge 100 shown in fig. 1a-1e, the cavity 103 is an elongated slot. The radio frequency identifier 102 comprises an elongate antenna structure and the closure element 104 is an elongate rod arranged to close the elongate slot. An elongate antenna structure of the radio frequency identifier 102 is shown in fig. 1e, where the elements of the antenna structure are denoted by reference numerals 105 and 106. The antenna structure can be, for example, a dipole antenna. As shown in fig. 1d and 1e, the opening of the elongated cavity faces downwards when the cartridge is in its operative position. As shown in fig. 1d and 1e, a portion 120 of the body section for the mechanical bracing apparatus is shaped to form an elongate lumen. This configuration is a straightforward way to implement an elongated cavity for the radio frequency identifier 102. It is also possible that the elongated cavity has its opening in the side wall of the instrument box, i.e. the elongated cavity constitutes an elongated tubular space.

However, it is also possible that the radio frequency identifier of an instrument cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment may not comprise an elongated antenna structure of the type shown in fig. 1 e. In this exemplary case, the shape of the cavity for accommodating the radio frequency identifier may be different from the shape of the cavity 103 shown in fig. 1d and 1 e.

Fig. 2a, 2b, 2c and 2d show an instrument cartridge 200 according to an exemplary and non-limiting embodiment. The viewing directions in relation to fig. 2a-2d are illustrated by a coordinate system 299. In the exemplary case shown in fig. 2a, an instrument 211 is present in the instrument cartridge 200. Fig. 2b, 2c and 2d show the process of installing the radio frequency identifier "RFID" 202 in the instrument box 200. The instrument cartridge 200 includes a body section 201 for holding instruments. As shown in fig. 2b, the body section 201 has a cavity 203 for the radio frequency identifier 202. As can be appreciated based on fig. 2b, the radio frequency identifier 202 is easy to install, as the radio frequency identifier may fall into the cavity 203 and the cavity provides mechanical support for the radio frequency identifier 202 at a later stage of the assembly work. In this exemplary case, the instrument cartridge 200 comprises a closing element 204 adapted to close the opening of the cavity, thereby keeping the radiofrequency identifier stationary with respect to the surface of the cavity and constituting, together with the surface of the cavity 203, a space for the radiofrequency identifier 202. The space for the radio frequency identifier 202 is advantageously a hermetically sealed chamber. In this exemplary case, the cavity 203 is an elongated slot, the radio frequency identifier comprises elongated antenna structures 205 and 206, and the closing element 205 is an elongated rod for closing the elongated slot. The closure element 204 is advantageously flexible, and the cavity 203 and the flexible closure element 204 are advantageously sized such that the flexible closure element is compressed in response to insertion into the cavity 203 to achieve a suitable seal.

In the exemplary installation process shown in fig. 2 b-2 d, the closure element 204 is attached to the surface of the cavity 203 with glue to ensure the fastening of the closure element 204. The arrows shown in fig. 2c show an exemplary case where glue is added to both ends and the middle of the elongated cavity 203. The glue drops are indicated with reference numeral 212. In the case where the glue is spread smoothly over the contact surface of the closure member 204, the glue may also act as a seal to seal the space containing the radio frequency identifier 202. In many cases, it is advantageous to use suitable primers and glues. After the glue has been added, the closing element 204 may be pushed into the cavity 203. This is shown by the arrows in fig. 2 d. A spatula or an element with a flat surface may be used to ensure that the closure element 204 is positioned properly on its own.

In the exemplary cartridge 200 shown in fig. 2a to 2d, the closure element 204 is a prefabricated element mounted in the body section 201 of the cartridge. It is also possible that the closing element of the cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment is formed by a material cast in the opening of the cavity after the radio frequency identifier has been inserted into the cavity.

Fig. 3a and 3b illustrate an instrument cartridge 300 according to an exemplary and non-limiting embodiment. Fig. 3a shows a plan view of the cartridge and fig. 3b shows a side view of the cartridge. Furthermore, fig. 3b shows a partial cross-sectional view taken along the line a-a shown in fig. 3 a. The cross-section relating to the partial cross-section shown in fig. 3b is parallel to the yz-plane of the coordinate system 399. The cartridge 300 includes a body section 301 for holding instruments such as medical or dental hand-held instruments. In the exemplary case shown in fig. 3a and 3b, there are three exemplary instruments in the instrument cartridge 300. One of the exemplary instruments is indicated by reference numeral 311. The exemplary cartridge 300 includes two sections 313 and 314 for the operative portion of the instrument. The cartridge 300 includes cover members 307 and 308 that cover the space for accommodating the operative portion of the instrument, thereby preventing inadvertent contact with the operative portion of the instrument. In the exemplary cartridge 300, the cover elements 307 and 308 are hinged to the body section 301. However, it is also possible, according to an exemplary embodiment, that one or more cover elements may also be form-locked with or otherwise mechanically connected to the body section of the cartridge. In the exemplary situation shown in fig. 3a and 3b, the cover element 308 is in the open position.

The instrument cartridge 300 includes a radio frequency identifier "RFID" that is readable from a distance away from the radio frequency identifier. In fig. 3b, the radio frequency identifier is denoted with reference numeral 302. In this exemplary case, the radio frequency identifier 302 is located in the cavity 303 of the cover element 308. The cartridge 300 comprises a closing element 304 which closes the opening of the cavity 303 and which, together with the surface of the cavity, constitutes a space for the radio frequency identifier 302. Advantageously, the cover element 308 can be detached from the body section 301 without being damaged. In other words, the cover element 308 may be removed without irreversible material deformation. In this exemplary case, the cover element 308 may be detached from the body section 301 by removing the hinge pin 330. Since the cover element 308 can be detached from the body section 301 without being damaged, the cover element 308 can be directly replaced by another cover element provided with another radio frequency identifier. Thus, the radio frequency identifier 302 can be easily replaced by another radio frequency identifier.

In the exemplary instrument cassettes 100, 200 and 300 shown in fig. 1a-1e, 2a-2d, 3a and 3b, the radio frequency identifier is located in a cavity formed by the body section or in a cavity formed by the cover member for preventing accidental access to the operative portion of the instrument. It is also possible that the radio frequency identifier is located in a part of the instrument cartridge that is neither the body section nor the cover element of the type described above. The portion may be, for example, a module for housing a radio frequency identifier. The module may be attached to, for example, the body section with suitable attachment means. The attachment means may comprise e.g. a screw and/or it may be based on material elasticity and/or spring force, so that the module is easy to remove and replace with another module.

The specific examples provided in the description given above should not be construed as limiting the scope and/or applicability of the appended claims. The lists and groups of examples provided in the description given above are not exhaustive unless explicitly stated otherwise.