Patent ID: 7552071

Claim:
A method of controlling an inventory of a plurality of point-of-care diagnostic devices including at least one type of device, wherein the inventory includes a main inventory and at least one subinventory, wherein each subinventory is associated with a point-of-care location, and wherein each device has an ambient temperature shelf life and is configured to perform at least one sample analysis, the method comprising the steps of: a.) entering data associated with the devices, wherein each device has an ambient temperature shelf life and is configured to perform at least one sample analysis, wherein the data includes a current quantity of the at least one type of device in the main inventory and a predetermined minimum quantity of the devices of said at least one type of device in the main inventory, and wherein the data further includes a current quantity of the at least one type of device in the at least one subinventory and a predetermined minimum quantity of the devices of said at least one type of device in the at least one subinventory, wherein each subinventory is associated with a point-of-care location; b.) associating a first timestamp with each device when the device is transferred from the main inventory to an ambient temperature subinventory, wherein the main inventory comprises a controlled inventory; c.) comparing the first timestamp to a second timestamp prior to use of the device to determine whether the ambient temperature shelf life of the device is exceeded, said second timestamp being associated with the device prior to the use of the device but after application of said first timestamp; and d.) automatically updating the current quantity of the devices in the at least one subinventory in response to an occurrence of an event that causes a change in the current quantity of the devices in the at least one subinventory.