Patent ID: 7176030

Claim:
An apparatus to determine prior use of a disposable item utilized with a medical device comprising: a status device including a plurality of states and secured to said disposable item, wherein the state of said status device indicates a prior use of said disposable item; and a processor coupled to said medical device and to said status device to determine said prior use of said disposable item based on said status device state and to facilitate control of medical device operation in accordance with said prior use determination, wherein said status device includes a conducting element disposed within an electrical path extending between said status device and said processor with a first state of said conducting element enabling said electrical path and indicating an unused disposable item and a second state of said conducting element disabling said electrical path and indicating prior use of that item, and wherein said processor includes: a status module to transmit a status signal over said electrical path to said conducting element and to detect a return signal on said electrical path from said conducting element to determine said state of said conducting element and ascertain said prior use of said disposable item; an element module to disable said electrical path by controlling said conducting element to enter said second state in response to detection of said return signal by said status module, thereby indicating use of said disposable item; and a verification module to re-transmit said status signal over said electrical path to said conducting element in response to said disablement by said element module and to verify placement of the conducting element in said second state by said element module, wherein said verification module determines the presence of an unused disposable item with said conducting element in said second state in response to detection of the absence of said return signal and determines the presence of a used disposable item utilizing a conductive member with said conducting element in said second state in response to detection of said return signal.