Patent ID: 7565299
Filing Date: 2009-07-21
Classification: A61B,B07C,G01G,G06Q,G16H,Y02W,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A method for sorting and tracking a drug before and after administration to a patient, the method comprising: providing a medical waste sorting system comprising a plurality of waste container compartments for housing a plurality of removable waste containers, wherein each of said removable waste containers comprises an opening and a machine readable identification key; providing an automatically movable lid coupled with each of said removable waste containers; wherein each of the removable waste containers is associated with at least one of a plurality of waste categories, wherein the movable lid is movable to an open position and a closed position; reading said machine readable identification key to determine the waste category associated with the container via a key reader; obtaining information regarding a drug to be administered to a patient, wherein said information comprises the quantity of said drug in a drug container prior to administration of said drug to said patient; obtaining scanned barcode information from a spent drug container via a barcode reader, wherein the spent drug container comprises the drug container and a spent drug, wherein the spent drug is the drug that still remains in the drug container after said drug has been at least partially administered to a patient; electronically accessing a database comprising waste item classification information; electronically assigning the spent drug container to at least one waste category based at least in part on the scanned barcode information and said waste item classification information; automatically opening the lid coupled to the removable container associated with said waste category to permit disposal of the spent drug container; automatically locking the lid coupled to the removable container in the closed position after disposal of the spent drug container; prompting a user to enter information regarding the quantity of the spent drug; and electronically comparing the quantity of the spent drug with the quantity of the drug prior to administration to said patient, thereby tracking the drug before and after administration to the patient.