IP Library Granted Patent US 12690942
Granted Patent B2
US 12690942 · App. 18/283,592 · Granted Jul 28, 2026

Double encoding device for inside and outside container encoding

Inventors: Stephanie Auber (Tuttlingen, DE); Thomas-Erwin Kahler (Seitingen-Oberflacht, DE); Uwe Schaz (Neuhausen, DE); Roland-Alois Hoegerle (Tuttlingen, DE); Frederick Lenzenhuber (Tuttlingen, DE); Ralf Pfister (Trossingen, DE); Saul Dufoo Ochoa (Tuttlingen, DE); Simone Hermle (VS-Villingen, DE); Martin Machill (Rietheim-Weilheim, DE); André Buerk (Villingen-Schwenningen, DE)
Assignee: Aesculap AG
A61B90/98A61B50/20
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12690942
App. No.
18/283,592
Granted
Jul 28, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A medical sterile goods container and a device setup for documenting a content and a location of the sterile goods container. The device setup includes the sterile goods container, a transport or storage device, and a holding device insertable into the sterile goods container. The sterile goods container has at least one first identification element that is identifiable by an identifier and able to be read digitally. The first identification element is located on an outside of the sterile goods container. The sterile goods container also has at least one second identification element that is identifiable by an identifier and able to be read digitally. The second identification element is located on an inside of the sterile goods container, with the identifier of the first identification element of the sterile goods container corresponding to the identifier of the second identification element of the sterile goods container.

Claims (19)

1 . A medical sterile goods assembly comprising:

a medical sterile goods container comprising walls that collectively define an outer surface facing external to the medical sterile goods container and an inner surface facing an internal space of the medical sterile goods container;

a holding device insertable into the internal space of the medical sterile goods container, the holding device comprising a sieve basket or a perforated metal plate or a sterilization box configured for receiving medical products;

a first identification element that is digitally readable and identifiable by a first identifier located external to the medical sterile goods container; and

a second identification element that is digitally readable and identifiable by a second identifier located within the internal space of the medical sterile goods container, wherein the first identifier corresponds to the second identifier, wherein the first identification element is attached to the outer surface of the walls of the medical sterile goods container and the second identification element is attached to the inner surface of the walls of the medical sterile goods container separately from the holding device.

2 . The medical sterile goods assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the holding device comprises a control unit arranged on an inside of the holding device and at least one reading device arranged on the inside of the holding device, wherein the at least one reading device is provided and configured to read out the second identification element.

3 . The medical sterile goods assembly according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit is configured to identify the medical sterile goods container in which the holding device is located by reading the second identification element with the at least one reading device.

4 . The medical sterile goods assembly according to claim 2 , wherein the holding device is configured for recognizing the medical products received in the holding device and for transmitting information regarding the medical products to the control unit.

5 . A device setup for documentation of a content and a location of the medical sterile goods assembly according to claim 1 , the device setup comprising:

a transport or storage device having at least one storage space provided with at least one first reading device arranged on an outside of the transport or storage device and connected to a first control unit arranged on an outside of the transport or storage device, the at least one first reading device configured to read the first identification element.

6 . The device setup according to claim 5 , wherein the first control unit is configured to determine the at least one storage space where the medical sterile goods container is located by reading the first identification element via the at least one first reading device.

7 . The device setup according to claim 5 , further comprising a second control unit arranged on an inside of the transport or storage device, wherein the first control unit and the second control unit are configured to communicate with each other.

8 . The device setup according to claim 5 , further comprising a second control unit arranged on an inside of the transport or storage device, wherein the first control unit and the second control unit are configured to communicate with each other and to communicate with an external device.

9 . The device setup according to claim 8 , wherein the external device is configured to store a copy of information determined by the first control unit and the second control unit.

10 . The device setup according to claim 8 , wherein the first control unit and the second control unit are configured to connect to the external device via at least one access point of a wireless connection.

11 . The device setup according to claim 10 , wherein the first control unit is configured to determine a position of the first control unit relative to the at least one access point via a signal strength of the wireless connection.

12 . The device setup according to claim 11 , wherein the at least one access point comprises a plurality of access points.

13 . The device setup according to claim 10 , wherein the second control unit is configured to determine a position of the second control unit relative to the at least one access point via a signal strength of the wireless connection.

14 . The device setup according to claim 13 , wherein the at least one access point comprises a plurality of access points.