Patent ID: 8899479

Claim:
Method for monitoring the flow and usage of a plurality of medical devices ( 4 ) in a hospital ( 2 ) environment, comprising the steps of: before shipping said plurality of medical devices ( 4 ) from a supplier ( 1 ) to a hospital ( 2 ), providing a plurality of individual medical device identification tags ( 17 ) connected to each one of said medical devices ( 4 ) and configured to provide a medical device identification information detectable at a distance and containing a medical device identification code which is unique for each of said medical devices ( 4 ) and, upon receiving said plurality of medical devices ( 4 ) in the hospital ( 2 ) store ( 13 ; 14 ), scanning said plurality of medical devices ( 4 ) with a hospital store entrance identification reader ( 36 ) to detect said individual medical device identification information provided by said individual medical device identification tags ( 12 ) and storing said medical device identification codes of the received medical devices ( 4 ) as entrance codes in a data base ( 31 ; 28 ); when medical devices ( 4 ) leave the hospital ( 2 ) store ( 13 ; 14 ) towards an operation theater block ( 9 ) or clinical department, scanning said medical devices ( 4 ) with a hospital store exit identification reader ( 34 ) to detect said individual medical device identification information provided by said individual medical device identification tags ( 12 ) and storing said medical device identification codes of the medical devices ( 4 ) which left the hospital store ( 13 ; 14 ) as exit codes in said data base ( 31 ; 28 ); calculating a medical device stock level in the hospital store ( 13 , 14 ) on the basis of the previously stored medical device identification entrance codes and medical device identification exit codes, the method further comprising: providing a waste bag ( 12 ) adapted to receive the medical devices ( 4 ) and medical device wrappings ( 5 ) used during an operation on a patient and, providing one or more operation identification tags ( 39 ) configured to provide an operation identification information detectable at a distance and containing an operation identification code which identifies said operation on said patient and attaching said operation identification tag ( 39 ) to said waste bag ( 12 ), scanning said waste bag ( 12 ) with a waste exit identification reader ( 36 ) to detect said operation identification information provided by said operation identification tag ( 39 ) and said individual medical device identification information provided by said individual medical device identification tags ( 12 ) inside said waste bag ( 12 ) and, receiving and associating said individual medical device identification codes and operation identification code detected from said waste bag ( 12 ) and storing said identification codes and associations in said data base ( 31 ; 28 ) for further elaboration.