SURGICAL KIT RECOVERY AND REUSE SYSTEM
A terminally sterilized medical procedure kit includes a recovered item and a new item packaged together as a single stock keeping unit. A method for processing at least a portion of a first medical procedure kit includes the steps of receiving a recoverable item of the first kit, performing a processing operation on the recoverable item, providing a new item, combining the recoverable item and the new item in a second kit, and terminally sterilizing the second kit. A method for recovering at least a portion of a terminally sterilized medical procedure kit includes the steps of purchasing a recoverable item of the first kit from an owner and receiving the recoverable item by the purchaser.
1 . A method for processing at least a portion of a first kit, wherein the first kit is used in a medical procedure and comprises a first recoverable item, the method comprising the steps of:
after the first kit is used in the medical procedure, receiving the first recoverable item for processing;
performing a processing operation on the first recoverable item, wherein the processing operation is selected from the group consisting of receiving, cleaning, disinfecting, sterilizing, inspecting, testing, marking, refurbishing, recycling, and stocking;
providing a new item;
after performing the processing operation on the first recoverable item, combining the first recoverable item and the new item in a second kit; and
terminally sterilizing the second kit.
2 . The method of claim 1 , comprising the steps of:
after the first kit is used in the medical procedure, receiving a second recoverable item of the first kit for processing; and
performing a processing operation on the second recoverable item, wherein the processing operation on the second recoverable item is selected from the group consisting of receiving, cleaning, disinfecting, sterilizing, inspecting, testing, marking, refurbishing, disassembling, recycling, stocking, and discarding.
3 . The method of claim 2 , comprising the step of:
after performing the processing operations on the first and second recoverable items, combining the first and second recoverable items and the new item in the second kit.
4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the processing operation on the second recoverable item differs from the processing operation on the first recoverable item.
5 . The method of claim 1 , comprising the steps of:
after the first kit is used in the medical procedure, receiving a first reusable item of the first kit for processing; and
performing a processing operation on the first reusable item, wherein the processing operation on the first reusable item is selected from the group consisting of receiving, cleaning, disinfecting, sterilizing, inspecting, testing, marking, refurbishing, recycling, and stocking.
6 . The method of claim 5 , comprising the step of:
after performing the processing operations on the first recoverable item and the first reusable item, combining the first recoverable item, the first reusable item, and the new item in the second kit.
7 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the processing operation on the first reusable item differs from the processing operation on the first recoverable item.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first recoverable item consists of materials that are impervious to repeated terminal sterilization.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the first recoverable item consists of metal.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first recoverable item is an instrument.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the new item is an implant.
12 . The method of claim 1 , comprising the step of:
after the first kit is used in the medical procedure, transferring ownership of the first recoverable item to a recipient.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein transferring ownership of the first recoverable item comprises the recipient buying the first recoverable item.
14 . The method of claim 1 , comprising the step of:
providing a container to receive the first recoverable item after the first kit is used in the medical procedure.
15 . The method of claim 14 , comprising the step of:
removing the first recoverable item from the container before performing the processing operation on the first recoverable item.
16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the first kit comprises the container.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the container is a package that contained the first recoverable item.
18 . The method of claim 1 , wherein performing a processing operation on the first recoverable item comprises:
performing a first processing operation on the first recoverable item, wherein the first processing operation is selected from the group consisting of cleaning, disinfecting, and sterilizing;
performing a second processing operation on the first recoverable item, wherein the second processing operation is selected from the group consisting of refurbishing and recycling; and
performing a third processing operation on the first recoverable item wherein the third processing operation is selected from the group consisting of inspecting, testing, and marking.
19 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second kit comprises a package, wherein the package contains the first recoverable item and the new item.
20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the second kit comprises a sterile barrier package that contains the first recoverable item and the new item.
21 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the second kit comprises a first sterile barrier package that contains the first recoverable item and a second sterile barrier package that contains the new item.
22 . The method of claim 1 , wherein terminally sterilizing the second kit comprises a sterilization process selected from the group consisting of gas sterilization, ethylene oxide sterilization, radiation sterilization, ionizing radiation sterilization, gamma sterilization, e-beam sterilization, and liquid chemical sterilization.
23 . The method of claim 1 , comprising the step of:
distributing the second kit.
24 . The method of claim 1 , comprising the step of:
sending the second kit to an end user.
25 . The method of claim 24 , comprising the step of:
transferring ownership of the second kit to the end user.
26 . The method of claim 25 , wherein transferring ownership of the second kit to the end user comprises selling the second kit to the end user.