U.S. patent application number 10/849284 was filed with the patent office on 2004-10-28 for automated shelf management system and process for tracking and purging file folders in a file storage facility.
Invention is credited to Coughlan, John F., Fitzgerald, Arthur C., Goldman, Jack B..
Application Number | 20040215597 10/849284 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 22698705 |
Filed Date | 2004-10-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040215597 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Fitzgerald, Arthur C. ; et
al. |
October 28, 2004 |
Automated shelf management system and process for tracking and
purging file folders in a file storage facility
Abstract
An automated system and process for managing paper files,
particularly medical records contained in file folders and the
like, in a file storage system having a predetermined size or
limited expansion capacity. A shelf manager system includes a
computer program and database which tracks the thickness of
individual file folders, the capacity of storage shelf sections,
and the percentage of free space remaining in each shelf section.
The thickness of each file folder is measured whenever the file
folder enters or leaves the primary file storage facility. File
folder thickness is computed by weighing the file on an electronic
scale or other caliper-based measure device. When occupied shelf
space exceeds a threshold percentage for a shelf section, file
folders are purged according to the likelihood that certain files
will not be requested in the future by applying purging algorithms
to the individual files. In an alternative embodiment, document
image scanning provides multiple copies of pertinent file
information to fulfill multiple pending file requests. In another
alternative embodiment, the file folders include radio frequency
identification tags for passive detection of file folder
identification. In a still further alternative embodiment, data
from the shelf manager system controls a digital printing press to
create direct print color-coded file folders for use with the shelf
manager system.
Inventors: |
Fitzgerald, Arthur C.; (West
Peabody, MA) ; Coughlan, John F.; (Buzzards Bay,
MA) ; Goldman, Jack B.; (Brookline, MA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Kenneth L. Milik
143 Martin Street
Carlisle
MA
01741
US
|
Family ID: |
22698705 |
Appl. No.: |
10/849284 |
Filed: |
May 19, 2004 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10849284 |
May 19, 2004 |
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09901220 |
Jul 9, 2001 |
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6758802 |
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09901220 |
Jul 9, 2001 |
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09189772 |
Nov 10, 1998 |
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6260049 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 ;
707/999.001 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10S 707/99948 20130101;
G06Q 10/10 20130101; Y10S 493/947 20130101; Y10S 707/99945
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
707/001 |
International
Class: |
G06F 007/00 |
Claims
1-36 (canceled)
37. A method of manufacturing document storage containers for
storing documents comprising the steps: die cutting a blank
document container from document container stock; positioning a
radio frequency identification tag on the blank document container
stock in proximity to a seam; folding and gluing the seam to
capture the radio frequency identification tag within the glued
portion of the seam; and folding and gluing the document storage
stock to form a completed document storage container.
38. A method of manufacturing document storage containers for
storing documents as recited in claim 37, wherein the radio
frequency identification tag is a passive radio frequency
identification tag.
39. A method of manufacturing document storage containers as
recited in claim 38, wherein the passive radio frequency
identification tag includes a microelectronic memory and control
transponder chip and an antenna.
40. A method of manufacturing document storage containers as
recited in claim 39, wherein the antenna is for powering the chip
by field induction.
41. A method of manufacturing document storage containers for
storing documents, as recited in claim 37, wherein the document
storage container is a reinforced double-sided file folder.
42. A method of manufacturing document storage containers for
storing documents, as recited in claim 37, wherein the document
storage container is a file box for holding file folders.
43. A method of manufacturing document storage containers for
storing documents, as recited in claim 37, wherein the document
storage container is a file box for holding loose documents.
44. A method of manufacturing document storage containers for
storing documents, as recited in claim 37, wherein the document
storage container is a carton for holding documents.
45. A method of manufacturing document storage containers for
storing documents, as recited in claim 37, wherein the document
storage container is a corrugated carton for holding documents.
46. A method of manufacturing document storage containers for
storing documents, as recited in claim 37, wherein the document
storage container is an envelope for holding documents.
47. A method of manufacturing document storage containers for
storing documents, as recited in claim 37, wherein the document
storage container is a package for holding documents.
48. A method of manufacturing document storage containers for
storing documents, as recited in claim 37, wherein the document
storage container is an x-ray jacket for storing x-ray film.
49. A method of manufacturing document storage containers for
storing documents, as recited in claim 37, wherein the document
storage container is a file pocket for holding documents.
50. A method of manufacturing document storage containers as
recited in claim 37, further including the steps of: receiving
identification information from a computer database; and printing
the identification information on the document container stock.
51. A method of manufacturing document storage containers as
recited in claim 37, wherein the containers are for holding medical
records.
52. A method of manufacturing document storage containers as
recited in claim 37, wherein the containers are for holding
business case records.
53. A method of manufacturing document storage containers as
recited in claim 37, wherein the containers are for holding legal
records.
54. A method of manufacturing document storage containers as
recited in claim 37, wherein the containers are for holding
insurance records.
55. A method of manufacturing document storage containers as
recited in claim 37, wherein the containers are for holding
government agency records.
56. A method of manufacturing document storage containers as
recited in claim 37, wherein the containers are for holding banking
records.
57. A method of manufacturing trackable document storage containers
comprising the steps: die cutting a blank document container from
document container stock; depositing a radio frequency
identification tag on the document container stock proximate to a
seam; applying glue to the area of the seam; and folding and gluing
the seam to capture the radio frequency identification tag within
the glued portion of the seam to form a complete document storage
container.
58. A method of manufacturing trackable document storage containers
as recited in claim 57, wherein identification information is
pre-written in the radio frequency identification tag prior the
step of depositing.
59. A method of manufacturing trackable document storage containers
as recited in claim 58, wherein the identification information
includes patient identification data.
60. A method of manufacturing trackable document storage containers
as recited in claim 58, wherein the identification information
includes client identification data.
61. A method of manufacturing trackable document storage containers
as recited in claim 57, further including the step of printing a
bar code with identification information on the document container
stock.
62. A method of manufacturing trackable document storage containers
as recited in claim 61, wherein the bar code identification
information is the same as identification information pre-written
in the radio frequency identification tag.
63. A method of manufacturing trackable document storage containers
as recited in claim 57, further including the step of writing
identification information into the radio frequency identification
tag prior to the time it is deposited on the document container
stock.
64. A method of manufacturing trackable document storage containers
as recited in claim 57, further including the step of writing
identification information into the radio frequency identification
tag after the time it is deposited on the document container
stock.
65. A method of manufacturing trackable document storage containers
as recited in claim 57, wherein the step of depositing the radio
frequency identification tag on the document container stock
includes depositing by a printing process.
66. A method of manufacturing trackable document storage containers
with improved security features, comprising the steps: die cutting
a first blank document container from document container stock;
positioning a first radio frequency identification tag on the
document container stock in a first location proximate to a seam;
folding and gluing the document container stock to capture the
first radio frequency identification tag within the glued portion
of the seam in the first location to form a first completed
document storage container; die cutting a second blank document
container from document container stock; positioning a second radio
frequency identification tag on the document container stock in a
second location proximate to a seam, different from said first
location; and folding and gluing the document container stock to
capture the radio frequency identification within the glued portion
of the seam in the second location to form a second completed
document storage container.
67. A method of manufacturing trackable document storage containers
for storing documents as recited in claim 66, wherein the trackable
document storage container is a reinforced double-sided file
folder.
68. A method of manufacturing trackable document storage containers
for storing documents as recited in claim 66, wherein the trackable
document storage container is a file box for storing file
folders.
69. A method of manufacturing trackable document storage containers
for storing documents, as recited in claim 66, wherein the document
storage container is a file box for holding loose documents.
70. A method of manufacturing trackable document storage containers
for storing documents, as recited in claim 66, wherein the document
storage container is a carton for holding documents.
71. A method of manufacturing trackable document storage containers
for storing documents, as recited in claim 66, wherein the document
storage container is a corrugated carton for holding documents.
72. A method of manufacturing trackable document storage containers
for storing documents, as recited in claim 66, wherein the document
storage container is an envelope for holding documents.
73. A method of manufacturing trackable document storage containers
for storing documents, as recited in claim 66, wherein the document
storage container is a package for holding documents.
74. A method of manufacturing trackable document storage containers
for storing documents, as recited in claim 66, wherein the document
storage containers is an x-ray jacket for storing x-ray film.
75. A method of manufacturing trackable document storage containers
for storing documents, as recited in claim 66, wherein the document
storage container is a file pocket for holding documents.
76. A method of manufacturing trackable document storage containers
as recited in claim 66, wherein the containers are for holding
medical records.
77. A method of manufacturing trackable document storage containers
as recited in claim 66, wherein the containers are for holding
business case records.
78. A method of manufacturing trackable document storage containers
as recited in claim 66, wherein the containers are for holding
legal records.
79. A method of manufacturing trackable document storage containers
as recited in claim 66, wherein the containers are for holding
insurance records.
80. A method of manufacturing trackable document storage containers
as recited in claim 66, wherein the containers are for holding
government agency records.
81. A method of manufacturing trackable document storage containers
as recited in claim 66, wherein the containers are for holding
banking records.
82. A method of manufacturing trackable document storage containers
for storing documents as recited in claim 76, wherein the first and
second radio frequency identification tags include identification
information linked to patients' master records stored in a computer
database.
83. A method of manufacturing trackable document storage containers
for storing documents as recited in claim 66, wherein the radio
frequency identification tags at said first and second locations
are passive radio frequency identification tags.
84. A method of manufacturing trackable document storage containers
as recited in claim 83, wherein the passive radio frequency
identification tags includes a microelectronic memory and control
transponder chip and an antenna.
85. A method of manufacturing trackable document storage containers
as recited in claim 84, wherein the antenna is for powering the
chip by field induction.
86. A method of manufacturing trackable document storage containers
as recited in claim 66, further including the steps of: receiving
first and second identification information from a computer
database; and printing the first identification information on the
first document container stock and printing the second
identification information on the second document stock.
87. A method of manufacturing trackable document storage containers
as recited in claim 86, wherein the printed identification
information on the document container stock of the first and second
document storage containers is in the form of a bar code.
88. A method of manufacturing trackable document storage containers
as recited in claim 87, wherein the identification information
included in the first and second radio frequency identification
tags is the same identification information printed on the document
container stock of the first and second document storage containers
in the form of a bar code.
89. A method of manufacturing trackable document storage containers
for storing documents, comprising the steps: die cutting a first
blank document container from document container stock; positioning
a passive radio frequency identification tag on the document
container stock in a predetermined location proximate to a seam;
and folding and gluing the document container stock to permanently
capture the radio frequency identification tag at the predetermined
location.
90. A document storage container for storing documents, comprising:
a die cut document container blank folded and glued to form an
enclosure for containing documents; the document container having
at least one folded and glued seam; and a radio frequency
identification tag captured within the glued portion of the
seam.
91. A document storage container for storing documents, as recited
in claim 90, wherein the document storage container is a reinforced
double-sided file folder.
92. A document storage container for storing documents, as recited
in claim 90, wherein the document storage container is a file box
for holding file folders.
93. A document storage container for storing documents, as recited
in claim 90, wherein the document storage container is a file box
for holding loose documents.
94. A document storage container for storing documents, as recited
in claim 90, wherein the document storage container is a carton for
holding documents.
95. A document storage container for storing documents, as recited
in claim 90, wherein the document storage container is a corrugated
carton for holding documents.
96. A document storage container for storing documents, as recited
in claim 90, wherein the document storage container is a envelope
for holding documents.
97. A document storage container for storing documents, as recited
in claim 90, wherein the document storage container is a package
for holding documents.
98. A document storage containers for storing document, as recited
in claim 90, wherein the document storage container is an x-ray
jacket for holding x-ray film.
99. A document storage container for storing documents, as recited
in claim 90, wherein the document storage container is a file
pocket for holding documents.
100. A document storage container as recited in claim 90, further
including printed identification information on the document
container stock.
101. A method for tracking document storage containers transported
from a first location to a second location in a storage facility,
the document storage containers including at least one folded and
glued seam and a radio frequency tag identification tag captured
within the glued portion of the seam for storing identification
information, comprising the steps: generating a requesting list of
document storage containers stored at a first location in the
storage facility to be transported to a second location in the
storage facility; moving the requested document storage containers
through a first radio frequency identification portal at the first
location, reading the identification information for each
container, and logging identification information on a computer;
upon arrival to the second location in the storage facility, moving
the arriving document storage containers through a second radio
frequency identification portal at the second location, reading the
identification information for each container, and logging
identification information on a computer to create a delivery list;
and comparing logged identification information from the first
location and from the second location to create a list of requested
storage containers missing during transport.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates generally to an automated
system and process for tracking paper files and the like, and more
particularly to an automatic system and process for tracking and
purging file folders in a file storage system having predetermined
or limited expansion capacity.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] In office environments, although there is a trend toward the
paperless office, where files will exist primarily in electronic
form, there is continued reliance on paper files and paper file
folders, which are generally stored on open shelving units or in
filing cabinet drawers. In some environments, such as health care,
legal, insurance, and corporate, the number of files and the
contents of those files can quickly grow to exceed the capacity of
most file systems and the space available for file storage.
[0003] The problems of storage and tracking of individual files
have generally been addressed by improving the physical storage
shelving to make it more compact or to provide some automatic means
of file retrieval. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,219,296 discloses
an automatic file storage and retrieval apparatus, in which a
movable carriage locates and pulls out individual files stored on
coded shelving. Although systems like the one described are
basically effective, they are expensive and they have a limited
capacity. Also, file folders which are inactive and not likely to
be needed take up valuable file storage space.
[0004] Some large businesses have addressed their growing file
storage needs by allocating greater space within their buildings to
the file storage function, and even constructing additional
buildings for file storage; however this is generally an expensive
solution, requiring high construction costs as well as operating
and staffing costs.
[0005] Another solution has been to move the paper files that will
not be needed to an off-site storage facility, where the files are
stored on shelving or in cataloged boxes and the like. For example,
a typical medical records storage facility associated with a large
city hospital might typically include as many as one million
patient files, with 450,000 patient files on-site and the remainder
in off-site storage. A file can be retrieved from off-site storage
when needed by a system of delivery vehicles or other means. The
drawback of this method is that retrieval takes time; often there
is a delay of several hours or days between the time the
recognition is made to retrieve a file and the time the file is
received. Also, there is a high cost associated with storage and
retrieval of records stored off-site.
[0006] Furthermore, there is a problem in classifying which files
should be kept on site in primary storage and which files should be
sent to the off-site storage facility. This problem has generally
been addressed by having a single purging criteria applied to all
the files as a whole. Such a purging criteria might be, for
example, to remove all files older than a certain cut-off date, the
logic being that older files would most likely not be needed for
current referrals. Purging criteria based on cut-off dates does not
address the common situation in which files older than an arbitrary
cut-off date are still needed for various reasons and will need to
be retrieved from off-site storage, incurring time delays and high
costs.
[0007] Another common drawback of conventional filing systems is
file section overflow, in which individual filing sections may
become overfilled. This results from some file sections filling at
a faster rate than other file sections due to an increase in the
number of files or an increase in the thickness of individual files
due to added content. In these situations, in order to make
adequate room for new files within overfilled file sections, a
manual process known as back shifting is performed, in which the
file contents for several shelf sections are redistributed to make
more room in the overfilled sections. Back shifting is a
time-consuming, tedious process, which can cause delays in normal
filing operations during the time the back shifting is carried
out.
[0008] Another problem in managing paper files is how to
effectively deal with pending requests and multiple pending
requests. Oftentimes, an individual file will be requested by
several users simultaneously. For example, in the medical field, a
new patient's file will need to be seen by doctors in various
medical departments, such as radiology and pathology, as well as
administrative departments, such as patient billing. In
conventional filing systems, pending file requests are handled by
hand-written routing slips, and files are often not re-routed until
they are returned to the file shelves. Most existing filing systems
do not have a way to deal effectively with routing the requested
file to the various users in a time-efficient manner to minimize
delays.
[0009] The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the
prior art filing systems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] A solution to the problems of prior file storage systems is
provided by the present invention, which optimizes the use of
available file space by seeking to keep the shelves full or at a
predetermined percentage of being full, such as 90-95 percent full,
while avoiding the problems associated with overfilled files and
back shifting.
[0011] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to
provide a computerized file tracking and purging system which seeks
to keep most file sections in a file storage facility nearly full
but never overflowing.
[0012] It is another object of the present invention to provided a
computerized file tracking and purging system which keeps those
records which are deemed to be most active within the storage
facility and remove or purge the inactive files for removal to
off-site or distant storage.
[0013] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide
a computerized file tracking and purging system which determines
for each file section, hierarchically, which files are most likely
to be requested and which files are least likely to be
requested.
[0014] In accordance with the preferred embodiments of the present
invention, the present invention is a computer-implemented shelf
manager system for tracking, file maintenance, and file purging in
health care, government, legal and other record-intensive
environments. This present invention is applicable to file storage
situations such as open shelves, mobile shelves, or mechanical
shelving systems--wherever there is a desire to prevent the size of
individual file folders from growing beyond the capacity of
fixed-capacity shelves. The objects of the present invention are
achieved by providing an automated system and process for managing
paper files, such as medical records contained in file folders and
the like, in a file storage system having predetermined size or
limited expansion capacity.
[0015] The shelf manager system of the present invention is used
advantageously with the filing method known as terminal digit
filing, in which a file room or file storage facility is divided in
an basically equal number of sections. In the present invention,
each file folder is assigned a unique file identifier, which links
it to the section in which it will be stored.
[0016] The shelf manager system of the present invention includes a
computer and a database coupled to the computer for storing sets of
data for each file folder, which are linked by means of the file
folder's unique identifier. The kinds of information stored in the
database for each file folder include, as a minimum, the
identifier, the physical thickness of the file folder, and the
storage section to which the file folder is assigned. In addition
to this information, the file database includes various information
related to the file folder's content. In the case of a medical file
folder, for example, the content information will advantageously
include the patient's visit history, disease history, and other
information.
[0017] Whenever a file folder enters or leaves the file room or
file storage facility it is logged-in or logged out through a
logging station, which is coupled to the computer. The logging
station has the primary purpose of updating the thickness
measurement for the file folder. The thickness is determined by
measuring the file folder's weight, ideally on an electronic scale,
although it is contemplated that the measurement could also be
determined by physical measurement with an electronic caliper. The
weight measurement is converted by the computer to an updated
thickness measurement by applying an algorithm that relates weight
to thickness. At the same time, the total file thickness for that
file's assigned shelf section is recalculated and compared to a
user chosen threshold value, usually in the range of 90 to 95
percent. Information related to the file folder's content is also
updated in the computer database, such as patient appointment
history
[0018] If the total thickness for all file folders within a storage
section exceeds the set threshold percentage of the available
storage space for the storage section, the purging subroutine is
initiated. A set of computer algorithms apply file-usage criteria
to each file within that file section to identify some folders for
purging within that section. The folders for purging are added to a
purge list, which may be printed out to be used as a guide by
personnel performing the actual physical purging, usually during
the night. The purged files are removed for shipment to off site
storage. The purging subroutine identifies just the file folders
needed to reduce the total thickness for all file folders below the
threshold percentage for that section.
[0019] For the current shelf section, the file folders are purged
according to the likelihood that certain files will not be
requested in the future by applying purging algorithms to the
individual files. The purging proceeds in two stages. In the first
stage, file folders are purged based on a set of predetermined
criteria, such as previous visit history, zip code, disease code,
type of exam, and other factors that would be predictive of whether
that particular folder would not be requested again. In the second
stage, file folders are ranked by the date of last visit.
[0020] In alternative embodiments, document image scanning provides
multiple copies of pertinent file information to fulfill multiple
pending file requests. In another alternative embodiment, the file
folders include radio frequency identification tags for passive
detection of file folder identification. In a still further
alternative embodiment, data from the shelf manager system controls
a digital printing press to create direct print color-coded file
folders for use with the shelf manager system.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of
the invention will be apparent from the following more particular
description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:
[0022] FIG. 1 illustrates the shelf manager system of the present
invention within its operating environment;
[0023] FIG. 2 illustrates active file storage shelving storage as
used with the present invention;
[0024] FIG. 3 illustrates a typical medical file folder and its
component parts;
[0025] FIG. 4 illustrates an alternative active file storage
shelving configuration;
[0026] FIG. 5 illustrates a personal computer system of the type
which may be used to implement the present invention;
[0027] FIG. 6 illustrates the internal components of the computer
system shown in FIG. 5.
[0028] FIG. 7 illustrates a logging station and its various
components;
[0029] FIG. 8 illustrates a multiple logging station embodiment of
the present invention incorporating a database server as part of a
local area network;
[0030] FIG. 9 illustrates the graphical user interface screen for
the main menu of the present invention;
[0031] FIG. 10a-10b together comprise a flowchart of the main menu
function of the present invention;
[0032] FIG. 11 illustrates the graphical user interface screen for
the scan folders subroutine of the present invention;
[0033] FIG. 12a-12e together comprise a flowchart of the scan
folders subroutine of the present invention;
[0034] FIG. 13 illustrates in flowchart form the data flow of the
file purging subroutine of the present invention;
[0035] FIG. 14a-14c together comprise a flowchart of the file
purging subroutine for the present invention;
[0036] FIG. 15 illustrates the graphical user interface screen for
the pending requests subroutine of the present invention;
[0037] FIG. 16 is a flowchart of the pending requests subroutine of
the present invention;
[0038] FIG. 17 illustrates the graphical user interface screen for
the folders master subroutine showing the folders add dialogue box
screen of the present invention;
[0039] FIG. 18 illustrates the graphical user interface screen for
the folders master subroutine showing the folders search dialogue
box screen of the present invention;
[0040] FIG. 19 is a flowchart of the folders master subroutine of
the present invention;
[0041] FIG. 20 illustrates the graphical user interface screen for
the login/logout history subroutine of the present invention;
[0042] FIG. 21 is a flowchart of the login/logout history
subroutine of the present invention;
[0043] FIG. 22 illustrates the graphical user interface screen for
the shelf space subroutine of the present invention;
[0044] FIG. 23 is a flowchart of the shelf space subroutine of the
present invention;
[0045] FIG. 24a-24h illustrates the graphical user interface
screens for the print reports subroutine of the present
invention;
[0046] FIG. 25 is a flowchart of the print reports subroutine of
the present invention;
[0047] FIG. 26 illustrates the graphical user interface screen for
the appointments function of the present invention;
[0048] FIG. 27 is a flowchart of the appointments function of the
present invention;
[0049] FIG. 28 illustrates audit system graphical user interface
screen of the present invention;
[0050] FIG. 29 is a flowchart of the audit system subroutine of the
present invention;
[0051] FIG. 30 illustrates the graphical user interface screen for
the remote scans subroutine of the present invention;
[0052] FIG. 31 is a flowchart of the remote scans subroutine of the
present invention;
[0053] FIG. 32 is a flowchart of the measure shelves subroutine of
the present invention;
[0054] FIG. 33 illustrates the graphical user interface screen for
the add employees subroutine of the present invention;
[0055] FIG. 34 is a flowchart of the add employees subroutine of
the present invention;
[0056] FIG. 35 illustrates the graphical user interface screen for
the add locations subroutine of the present invention;
[0057] FIG. 36 is a flowchart of the add locations subroutine of
the present invention;
[0058] FIG. 37 illustrates the graphical user interface screen for
the system setup subroutine of the present invention;
[0059] FIG. 38 is a flowchart of the system setup subroutine of the
present invention;
[0060] FIG. 39 illustrates the graphical user interface screen for
the compress files subroutine of the present invention;
[0061] FIG. 40 is a flowchart of the compress files subroutine
function of the present invention;
[0062] FIG. 41 illustrates the graphical user interface screen for
use with the present invention for tracking and purging x-ray film
jackets;
[0063] FIG. 42 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the present
invention, showing intelligent imaging;
[0064] FIG. 43 illustrates another alternative embodiment of the
present invention, showing radio frequency identification and
tracking of files; and
[0065] FIG. 44 of the present invention illustrates a still further
embodiment of the present invention, showing on-demand file
creation.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0066] Turning initially to FIG. 1, an exemplary system is shown
which incorporates a shelf manager system 10 in accordance with the
preferred embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the
preferred embodiment of the present invention is for use in a
medical center 12 or like environment. However, it should be noted
that the principles of the present invention are applicable in any
environment in which large volumes of records are kept as paper
files. Such other environments include, for example, federal and
state government agencies, law firms, and insurance companies.
Also, although the preferred embodiments discuss file folders
stored on open shelving, for simplicity, it is understood that the
principles of the present invention apply equally to other
expandable file holders such as x-ray jackets, which typically
include an outer jacket, an inner jacket and the x-ray film itself.
The preferred embodiments also describe files stored on open
shelving, but it is understood that the principles of the present
invention also apply to file systems using filing cabinets or other
file storage means.
[0067] In general terms, the shelf manager system 10 of the present
invention comprises a computer, computer software, and related
computer input and output devices which are used to dynamically
track and control the movement of file folders between a patient
medical care facility 14 and a medical records storage facility 16.
File activity is the term given to express a measure of the
likelihood that a given file folder will be requested for transfer
to the patient medical care facility 14. Active files are those
having the highest file activity and most likely to be requested;
semi-active files have much lower file activity and are less likely
to be requested than active files; and inactive files have the
lowest or no activity and are therefore the least likely to be
requested.
[0068] The shelf manager system 10 analyzes file folder activity
using a set of computer-implemented algorithms that identify the
most active files, which must be stored in active file storage 16,
the next grouping of semi-active files, to be stored in semi-active
file storage 18, and inactive files which have a very low
likelihood of being requested and can thus be safely stored in
off-site warehousing facilities 20 permanently or for infrequent
retrieval.
[0069] This is accomplished by tracking paper growth in the active
file storage 18 by continuously calculating the total thickness of
paper sheets added or subtracted from the file system as a whole,
and particularly within file storage sections, as will be
described, and producing a purge list whenever a predefined
threshold is exceeded. The purge list is used for removing certain
low activity files from the active file storage 18 reduce the total
thickness below the threshold. Based on the principles of operation
of the present invention, the efficiency of the file storage system
is increased because the files that are most likely to be requested
are the same files that are most likely to be resident in active
file storage 18, and files that are less likely to be requested are
moved either to semi-active storage 20, or in off-site storage 22.
The present invention also ensures that most of the available file
space in the active file storage 18 will be almost fully utilized.
In addition, the shelf manager system 10 of the present invention
prioritizes and handles pending requests and provides reporting
functions.
[0070] In FIG. 1 the medical center 12 may be, for example, a large
metropolitan hospital or even a small medical affiliate, which
would typically provide medical treatment services to patients and
also be capable of providing these medical services to the same
patient population over an extended time period. The medical center
12 includes a patient medical care facility 14 and a medical
records storage facility 16, which stores and manages all
individual patient files, generally in the form of paper files
contained in folders, which will be described in more detail in
what follows.
[0071] In a metropolitan hospital, the patient medical care
facility 14 is typically departmentalized into a number of
functional units having various diagnosis or treatment specialties
such as emergency 24, radiology 26, pathology 28, hematology 30,
and oncology 32. This listing is merely exemplary and not
all-inclusive. In addition to diagnosis and treatment departments,
the patient medical care facility 14 also includes administrative
(non-diagnosis and non-treatment) departments such as patient
billing 34 and patient admissions 36. Again, this listing is merely
exemplary and not all-inclusive. For a given patient seeking
treatment for illness or injury, multiple departments will normally
be responsible for the patient's processing, diagnosis, and
treatment. Those departments will require access to the patient's
medical file for reasons related to the specialty of each
requesting department, and the files will need to be updated with
new information from the diagnosis or treatment that was performed
or for administrative reasons, or both. The various departments
request patient files to be physically transferred from the medical
records storage facility 12 to the patient medical care facility
14, as needed, and then returned to the medical records storage
facility 16.
[0072] Requests for patient file folders are called pending
requests and it is possible for there to be multiple pending
requests for a patient's file folder at any one time. The shelf
manager 10 tracks all pending requests. Pending requests are
entered into the shelf manager system 10 and routing slips are
printed. The requested patient file folder is then physically
removed from the shelf and routed to the requester. When the file
is returned to the medical records storage facility 16, the shelf
manager system 10 searches for any other pending requests. If other
pending requests are found, the file folder is electronically
flagged and it is rerouted to the requestor's locale. This process
continues until all the pending requests are filled for a
particular patient's file folder. When a pending request has been
filled and the file moved from the file storage facility 14, the
file is termed an out-of-file record 38. Out-of-file records 38 may
be physically within the requestor's department or in transit
between departments.
[0073] In addition, the medical center 12 typically includes a
computer mainframe 40, which stores data related to individual
patients in a medical records database 42. The kinds of information
tracked for individual patients may include: name, address, visit
history, disease & treatment codes, insurance, and billing
information. The computer mainframe 40 may be physically located
within the medical center 12 or at a separate or distant location.
If at a separate location, the computer mainframe 40 would be
accessible to designated hospital personnel in the medical center
12 by means of conventional local area network (LAN) or wide area
networking (WAN) technology.
[0074] Although medical records computers, such as the computer
mainframe 40, store an increasing quantity of patient data, the
primary patient files are in paper form. Over time, the trend will
be toward increased storage of patient records in electronic form,
but reliance on paper records will continue well into the
future.
[0075] In FIG. 1, it can be seen that the medical records storage
facility 12 includes an active file storage 18 for storing in-file
records 44, and a semi-active file storage 20. The active file
storage 18 is generally in the form of static shelving which will
be described in more detail in connection with FIG. 2. The active
file storage 18 has to be sufficiently large to provide storage
space for the majority of files which may be requested by the
patient medical care facility 14. For a large metropolitan
hospital, the number of files in active storage may number more
than 400,000, partly because patient files are rarely destroyed and
the patient files may go back several decades. It is important for
the active storage 18 to be in close proximity to the patient
medical care facility 14, so that patent records as required by the
various medical departments are conveniently accessible to the
doctors, laboratories, and administrative personnel in the patient
medical care facility 14 as needed, without undue delay.
[0076] The difficulty of maintaining a large active storage 18 is
readily apparent. As total file volume grows, the conventional
solution has been to physically add additional space and personnel
to cope with the increased volume. New medical records storage
facilities are acquired in the form of additional buildings and
support staffs to handle the need for increased storage space. The
shelf manager 10 eliminates the need for providing additional
active file storage 18 by efficiently utilizing the existing space,
specifically by keeping the active file storage 18 as full as
possible only with those files that are most likely to be requested
by the patient medical care facility 14. The remaining files may
safely be moved to the semi-active storage 20, where the files are
stored on less-accessible mobile shelving units, which provide an
increased storage density, and finally to low cost off-site
storage.
[0077] Referring now to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the organization of the
active file storage 18 is shown in more detail. For the purposes of
the present discussion, the active file storage 18 is
advantageously localized to a single file room. However, the
principles of the present invention are application to file storage
configurations of all types without limitation. The file room
includes several steel shelf units 46, organized and arranged in an
optimal manner to form aisles, to maximize the use of available
space. Each shelf unit 46 includes a plurality of shelf levels 48
and shelf sections 50. Shelves of this type are typically eight
feet high and accommodate six to ten shelf levels. Also, each shelf
section has a typical length dimension in the range of 30 inches to
48 inches. The shelf unit shown in FIG. 2 can therefore be
considered exemplary. The shelf manager system 10 tracks the
fullness of each shelve independently, so there is no need to have
all the shelf units be uniform in height or length.
[0078] The file folders 52 stand freely on the shelf and preferably
fill a shelf section most efficiently from left to right, rather
than being stacked from bottom to top, although the present
invention is not limited to the method the shelves are filled.
[0079] The shelf arrangement may include vertical file supports or
vertical file guides 53 utilized to provide support to the file
folders in sections which are less than full or to otherwise
subdivide a shelf section, as will be described in what
follows.
[0080] In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the
file room is subdivided into a number of subsections, and the
subsections are advantageously designated by unique numbers or
other indicia. Also, it is not required for the subsections to be
the same width as shelf sections. In FIG. 2, the shelf subsection
54 which shows the identifying number "20" is smaller than one
shelf section width, while the shelf subsection 56, 58 which shows
the identifying number "21" is larger than a section width. As a
third example, the subsection 60, which shows the identifying
number "28" is exactly equal to a subsection width. FIG. 2 also
illustrates that shelf subsections need not be constant in width.
Over time, some subsections will expand and some sections will
contract, because the thickness of individual file folders will
vary.
[0081] In contrast, FIG. 3 shows an alternative shelf arrangement
in which the subsections are equal in width to the shelf sections.
In both shelf arrangements shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, each
subsection has a unique identifier, allowing the subsection to be
tracked independently of the other shelf subsections. Also, each
shelf subsection may advantageously be bar coded so that its
location may be tracked by the shelf manager system 10.
[0082] In the preferred embodiment, the file folders 52 are
organized according to the terminal digit filing system, which is
widely used in many industries, particularly the medical field.
[0083] In the case of a typical medical center 12 such as a
hospital, patient file numbers are issued sequentially and are
never reused. It would not be uncommon for a large hospital to have
issued more than a million sequential patient numbers over the
years. In such a case, a newly issued file number might typically
be "123-45-67," which would represent the 1,234,567.sup.th patient
to enter that hospital.
[0084] Terminal digit filing seeks to distribute the file folders
52 evenly in the total space available in the active file storage
18. Under this system, the active file storage 18 is divided,
initially, into 10,000 even sections. The first division of the
file space consists of 100 main sections representing the last two
digits, 00 to 99, of a sequentially-issued number series of
indeterminate length. These last two numbers are called the
terminal digits (TD). For example, in the number 123-45-67, the
terminal digits are "67." The "6" is the first terminal digit,
representing ten percent of the total available file space; it is
usually signified by the middle position color band on a side tab
folder with three positions of color bands, manufactured for open
shelf filing. The color coding of file folder 52 will be described
in more detail in what follows and further on with reference to
FIG. 4. The "7" is the second terminal digit, representing one
percent of the total available file space; it is usually signified
by the bottom position color band on a side tab folder with three
positions of color bands, manufactured for open shelf filing.
[0085] The 100 terminal digit sections, 00 to 99, are each divided
into 100 subsections, each subsection designated by two digits, 00
to 99, called the middle digits (MD). In the example 123-45-67, the
middle digits are "45." The "4" is the first middle digit,
representing 0.1 percent of the available file space; it is usually
signified by the top position color band on a side tab folder with
three positions of color bands manufactured for open shelf filing.
The "5" is the second middle digit, representing 0.01 percent of
the available file space. Unless the active file storage 18 is
unusually large, designed to accommodate several hundred thousand
to a million or more file folders 52, it will not usually be
necessary to add a fourth color band to represent second middle
digit.
[0086] The first three digits, "123" in the example number
123-45-67, are called the tertiary digits and are filed in
sequential order after the file folder 52 is placed in terminal
digit and middle digit order. If all the numbers in a series of
1,234,567 numbers were in the same file space, the tertiary digits
in this example would designate the 123.sup.rd folder filed in
sequential order in the "45" middle-digit subsection of the "67"
terminal-digit section.
[0087] Terminal digit filing uses color-coding to identify files
belonging to the same section or subsection. Using terminal digit
filing, it is almost impossible to misfile a file folder, because
of the color bands associated with each file. If a file folder 52
is misfiled, it will attract attention because of its different
color-band pattern compared with the other file folders 52 for that
subsection. Using color coding to represent both of the terminal
digits and the first of the middle digits of a sequentially issued
number reduces the area of a possible misfile to 0.1 percent of the
total active file storage 18. An active file storage 18 containing
150,000 folders would have 150 file folders 52 in each middle digit
section with the same color bands. In the present example, terminal
digit 7 is represented by the color brown in the bottom band;
terminal digit 6 is represented by the color yellow in the middle
band; and middle digit 4 is represented by the color purple on the
top band. Typically, these 150 file folders 52 would fit on a
single shelf, and any misfiles would be limited to this area or
would show up as a clash of color in another section.
[0088] Using the terminal digit filing system, file numbers in each
subsection should grow evenly, statistically. This is true to a
point; however, the thickness of individual files varies according
the content of the file, which can be greater or less than average,
depending on the quantity of patient data.
[0089] Turning now to FIG. 4, a typical file folder 52 is
illustrated of the type which may be effectively utilized with the
present invention. The file folder 52 is preferably of the type
produced and manufactured by Ames Color-File of Somerville,
Massachusetts, for medical applications. The file folder 52
includes file stock substrate 63 folded into a front cover 64 and a
rear cover 66. File content 68 is positioned between the front
cover 64 and the rear cover 66, and consists of individual
perforated paper sheets or pages of patient-related data. These
pages generally include laboratory test reports, physician's notes
and numerous types of pre-printed forms associated with the
patient's processing, diagnosis, and treatment. The file content 68
is continually supplemented and updated and thus provides a
historical record of the treatment of the patient. In cases where a
patient is undergoing extensive or continual diagnosis and
treatment, or in cases when the patient has been using the same
hospital for many years, more than one volume or even several
volumes may be required for a single patient.
[0090] The file content 68 is generally held between the file
folder covers 64, 66 by a flexible paper fastener such as the one
described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,084,911, which is hereby incorporated
by reference.
[0091] The rear cover 66 includes a tab portion 70 for indexing the
files. The tab 70 of the rear cover 66 extends beyond the edge of
the front cover, so that, when the file folder 52 is in-file in the
shelf unit 46 shown in FIG. 2, the tab 70 will be visible at a
glance or from a distance. The tab 70 includes a patient number
block 72 and the terminal digit number 74, which indicates the
section wherein the file folder 52 is to be filed. The individual
digits of the terminal digit filing system 74 are included on small
color-coded squares 76, 77, 78, wherein specific digits correspond
to specific colors, as previously described. In FIG. 4, the digits
"467" represent the terminal digits "67" and the first middle digit
"4." A file folder 52 with this designation will be properly filed
in section "67" of the 100 sections of the file room and in
subsection "4" within that section. The color-coding is visible
from a distance, so that it is immediately apparent that the file
folder 52 has been correctly filed with respect to the other file
folders 52 having the same terminal digits, as discussed above. As
part of the present invention, during manufacture of the file
folder 52, the patient name, terminal digit numbers and color-coded
squares may be provided by means of direct printing on the
substrate 63 of the file folder from a digital color press of the
type manufactured by Indigo N.V. of Maastricht, The Netherlands,
which utilizes liquid toner for high speed color printing. This
embodiment of the present invention will be described in more
detail further on.
[0092] The front cover 64 includes a patient name block 80 well as
a second patient number block 81 to provide additional file
identification indicia when the file folder is removed from its
shelf. The front cover 64 also includes a bar code label 82, which
is utilized by the shelf manager system 10 of the present invention
for tracking data about the file, as will be described in what
follows.
[0093] The file has an associated thickness measurement 84, which
indicates how much file space a file takes up on a shelf, and this
measurement is used by the shelf manager system 10 to create a file
purge list. The file content 68 consists essentially of single
sheets of paper, which have an average thickness of 0.01 inches.
The thickness 84 of the file folder 52 has been found to average
approximately 200 pages per inch, including the thicker front cover
64 and rear cover 66 with the tab 70. It is within the scope of the
present invention to provide measurements of the thickness 84 of
file folders directly by means of an electronic caliper or the
like.
[0094] In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, it has
been recognized that a file folder's weight 86, indicated by the
arrow in FIG. 4, is proportional to its thickness 84; therefore, by
weighing a file, and by making a simple mathematical computation, a
thickness determination can be made. Specifically, one sheet of
paper weighs approximately 0.01 pounds, and an empty file folder
weighs approximately 0.1 pounds. A file folder having a thickness
84 of one inch also has a folder weight 86 of approximately 2.0
pounds. Although it is recognized that paper sheets and folder
stock are available in a range of thicknesses, the averages
presented here have been found to work effectively in achieving the
objectives of the present invention.
[0095] Referring now to the FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, a computer system 88
is illustrated which is incorporated in the present invention. The
computer system shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 is a standalone desktop
computer system, such as a Dell Optiplex Pentium-II personal
computer manufactured by Dell Computer Corporation of Round Rock,
Tex. However, it is to be understood that other general purpose
computer systems may be advantageously used in the present
invention.
[0096] The major physical components of the computer system 88 are
a display monitor 90 including a display screen 91, a keyboard 92,
and a computer base unit 94 that internally houses a number of
electronic circuits including central processing unit (CPU) 96. As
shown in FIG. 6, the computer system 88 comprises a bidirectional
data bus 98 interconnecting the CPU 96, a plurality of input
devices, output devices, and the system memory.
[0097] The base unit includes internal memory 100, on a circuit
card therein, typically comprising random access memory (RAM) for
temporary storage of information and read only memory ROM for
permanent storage. Also housed in the base unit 94, the computer
system 88 includes one or more mass storage devices in the form of
hard disk drives and floppy disk drives 102, which are connected
either directly or indirectly to the computer's data bus through a
hard drive & floppy drive interface 104. Additional mass
storage is in the form of a conventional CD-ROM which is connected
to the computer's data base through a CD-ROM interface 108. For
descriptive purposes, the computers internal memory 100 and mass
storage devices 102, 106 will be collectively referred to as
"storage" when data can be stored in any type of data storage
unit.
[0098] Computer input is provided by a conventional keyboard 92
connected to the data bus 98 through a keyboard interface 109, and
also provided by a conventional mouse 110 connected to the data bus
98 through a serial/mouse port 112. The keyboard includes a
plurality of alphanumeric keys 114 and may also include a dedicated
numeric keypad 116. The mouse 110 includes at least one button-type
switch 118 operated by a user of the system. A cursor is displayed
on the screen 91 and its position is controllable via the mouse 110
or the keyboard 92, as is well known. Herein, the terms "click" and
"clicked upon" are used to describe the situation in which a cursor
is positioned over a screen object and the mouse button 118 or one
of the keyboard keys 114 is pressed and, in some implementations,
then released. The computer 88 also includes a peripheral input
interface 120 for connecting additional input devices as will be
described below.
[0099] Computer output is in the form of a conventional display
monitor 90, having a CRT display screen, which is connected to the
system bus 98 through a display interface 122. The display device
need not be a separate display monitor, but may be housed in the
same unit as the CPU processor 96. The computer 88 also includes a
peripheral output interface 122 for connecting additional output
devices such as printers as will be described in connection with
FIG. 7.
[0100] The computer also includes a network interface 124 so that
it may be linked to a local area network (LAN) or wide area network
(WAN) as will be described in connection with FIG. 8.
[0101] In general operation of the computer 88, information in the
form of control and data signals are received from the connected
input devices. The signals are provided via the system bus 98 to
the CPU 96 for processing, for storage on the mass storage unit
102, and for display on the display screen 91, or for output of
other peripheral output device.
[0102] The computer system 88 further includes operating software
stored in memory 100 or stored in mass storage 102 and then loaded
into memory 100 when executed. The software includes an operating
system for controlling and coordinating the computer system 88. The
present invention, operating in conjunction with the computer 88,
includes the capability to process data, graphics, and sound while
providing a windowing environment for display on the display
monitor screen 91. The operating system may be a Windows 95,
Windows 98, or Windows NT 4.0 or later operating system developed
and sold by Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash.
[0103] The shelf manager system 10 is a file management tool
particularized for managing medical file folders and incorporates a
relational database 126 to perform this function. In the preferred
embodiment, this relational database was developed utilizing
Foxpro, created by Microsoft Corporation. Foxpro is an
object-oriented data development system which provides tools for
developing relational databases management systems and
applications, which have the capability of organizing information
into tables, editing that information, running queries, and running
reports. The Foxpro product operates within the Microsoft Windows
and DOS operating system environment and utilizes such features as
pop-up dialogue boxes, which gives the user a choice of entering or
modifying program parameters at key points while operating the
database application. It is contemplated that other relational
databases may also effectively be used to implement the principles
of the present invention. Also, Visual Basic also available from
Microsoft, is utilized for interfacing to an electronic scale and
bar-code scanner, which is described in what follows.
[0104] Turning now to FIG. 7, a logging station is shown as used in
the present invention. Whenever a file folder 52 is removed from or
redeposited into active file storage 18, the logging station 128 is
used to identify the file folder 52 and to determine and update the
file folder thickness 84 data by determining file folder weight 86.
The logging station 128 includes the personal computer 88, an
electronic scale 130 input device, a bar code scanner 132 input
device, a thermal label printer 134, and a page printer 135. The
various components of the logging station 128 are advantageously
located contiguously on a table-top location to provide for the
cooperative operation of the various peripheral components.
[0105] The electronic scale 130, bar code reader 131, thermal label
printer 132, and page printer 133 are coupled to the computer 88
through the respective peripheral input interface 120 and the
peripheral output interface 122.
[0106] The electronic scale 130 is preferably of the type available
from Salter Weigh-Tronix Co. of London, England. The scale is a
bench type scale having the capability of determining file folder
weight 86 to a precision of 0.01 pounds. This corresponds to the
weight of a single page of paper. Thus the addition or subtraction
of single pages of a file folder 52 may be accurately tracked using
the scale. The computer 88 uses the weight 86 measurement to
compute the current thickness 84 of the file folder 52.
[0107] The bar code reader 131 includes a standard gun type scanner
134 manufactured by PSC, Inc. and attached to a wedge decoder 135
manufactured by Percon, Inc. of Mount Wilson, Oreg. The bar code
reader 131 is used to scan the bar code label 82 on a file folder
52 so that it may be accurately tracked by the shelf manager system
10. It is anticipated that portable bar code scanners may also be
used. Furthermore, the bar code reader 132 incorporates a scanner
control device 136 and supporting software. When the scanner is NOT
READY or if a SCANNING ERROR occurs, the scanner control device 136
shuts off the scanner and the application software provides an
alarm to signal for appropriate intervention by the user.
[0108] The bar code label printer 132 is a direct thermal printer
manufactured by Eltron, Inc. The shelf manager system 10
automatically prints bar code labels as required or whenever the
operator manually types a record number. It is possible for one
patient's folder to occupy one, two or several volumes. The shelf
manager system 10 of the present invention automatically determines
when a second or additional volume should be created. A volume
creation subroutine automatically determines if the file folder
thickness 84 exceeds a predetermined threshold value, and in
response to this indication, the shelf manager system 10 initiates
a file creation subroutine that automatically prints a file label
for the new file folder volume. This subroutine will be discussed
in connection with FIG. 12.
[0109] In the preferred embodiment, the logging station 128 is a
standalone system, but it may also be part of a local area network,
or a client-server network. Referring to FIG. 8, implementation of
the present invention as part of an Ethernet network 138 is
illustrated. In the figure, a number of logging stations 128 are
shown, indicated as computer workstations, with the attached
peripherals not shown for simplicity. It is conceivable that ten or
more logging stations may be required to manage file folders in a
major medical records storage facility 16. Also connected to the
Ethernet network 138 is the hospital mainframe 40, which allows the
individual logging stations to retrieve basic patient data from the
hospital mainframe 40 and to update data to the hospital mainframe
40. The network configuration also includes a database server 140
which controls and provides network access to the database 126.
[0110] Turning to FIG. 9, the user interface screen for the system
menu 142 is shown as seen on the display device 91. The system menu
142 includes three columns of user-selectable screen buttons which
call up various program functions. The screen buttons are
selectable in a conventional manner by moving a mouse-controlled
cursor around the display screen 91 until the cursor is positioned
over the screen location corresponding to the chosen function and
then by clicking the mouse 110 to select that program function.
When a program function is selected in this manner, the system
calls up that subroutine to which the system call is directed, and
the subroutine is executed, providing the user with other screens
which provide requested information or allow for the input of data
or parameters necessary for that subroutine function. After
completed execution of the user-selected functions, the main menu
program will loop back to the system menu screen 142. The
flowcharts in FIG. 10a and FIG. 10b show the program functions
associated with the main menu 142 for each of the various screen
buttons shown in FIG. 9. The individual subroutines will be
discussed in more detail in what follows.
[0111] The scan folders button 144 calls the subroutine TRMWB 146,
which allow the user to log out folders to various locations
including off-site storage locations, and allows the user to log
folders back into the system. This folder master function is
described with more particularity in connection with FIGS.
12a-12e.
[0112] The pending requests button 148 calls the subroutine PNDW
150, which provides the user with screens to enter requests for
folders and track those requests. The pending request function is
described with more particularity in connection with FIGS. 15 and
16.
[0113] The folder master button 152 calls the subroutine MSTW 154,
which provides basic information about a folder such as the last
time logged out, the date of last log-out, the requester, and the
location, etc. This folders master function is described with more
particularity in connection with FIGS. 17 through 19.
[0114] The about the system button 156 calls the HELP subroutine
158, which provides information about how to use the system to the
user.
[0115] The Log-in/Log-Out History button 160 calls the subroutine
TRHWD 162, which provides the user with a history of all folder
activity. The Log-in/Log-out History function is described with
more particularity in connection with FIGS. 20-21.
[0116] The shelf space subroutine 164 calls the subroutine SHFW
166, which displays statistics of all shelf space, including shelf
size, inches used, and locations. It allows the user to edit
existing data and enter new information about shelf spaces and
locations. The shelf space function is described with more
particularity in connection with FIGS. 22-23.
[0117] The print reports button 168 calls the subroutine RPTW 170,
which allows the user to print reports, folder labels, shelf labels
and new volume labels. The print reports function is described with
more particularity in connection with FIGS. 24 and 25.
[0118] The quit to windows button 172 calls the exit subroutine
EXIT 174, which exits the shelf manager application.
[0119] The appointments button 176 calls the appointment subroutine
APPTW 178, which manually downloads any appointment information
from the computer mainframe 40. The appointments function is
described with more particularity in connection with FIGS. 26 and
27.
[0120] The audit system button 180 calls the import pull list
subroutine AUDW 182, providing the with either a screen output of
print output of errors detected is the database such as mismatched
patient names and numbers. The audit system button 180 is described
with more particularity in connection with FIGS. 28 and 29.
[0121] The remote scans button 184 calls the remote scans
subroutine RDRWT 186, which allows the user to update the present
location of folders logged out by using portable bar code readers.
The remote scans function is described with more particularity in
connection with FIGS. 30 and 31.
[0122] The measure shelf button 188 calls the measure shelves
subroutine FLDWS 190, which allows the user to record, measure,
label folders on each of the shelves. The measure shelf function is
described with more particularity in connection with FIG. 32.
[0123] The add employees button 192 calls the add employee
subroutine EMP 194, which allows the user to list all employees
engaged in folder scanning along with their passwords. The add
employees function is described with more particularity in
connection with FIGS. 33 and 34.
[0124] The add locations button 196 calls the add locations
subroutine LOCW 198, which allows the user to enter the locations
for logged-out files, including those in off-site locations. The
add locations function is described with more particularity in
connection with FIGS. 35 and 36.
[0125] The system setup button 200 calls the system setup
subroutine SYSW 202, which allows the user to set and modify the
configuration parameters used by the system. The system setup
function is described with more particularity in connection with
FIGS. 37 and 38.
[0126] The compress button 204 calls the compress files subroutine
FILWC 206, which is periodically used to reorganize and streamline
all the application files. The compress function is described with
more particularity in connection with FIGS. 39 and 40.
[0127] Turning now to FIGS. 11 and 12a-12e, the scan folder
subroutine is discussed in more detail. The scan folders subroutine
allow the user to log-out file folders to various locations and
log-in the file folders back into the shelf manager system 10. The
scan folders screen 208 displays folder specific information such
as folder and volume number, patient name, folder size upon leaving
and returning to the file room, the shelf number where the folder
is stored, and various date-related information.
[0128] In operation, following the flowcharts in FIGS. 12a-12e, the
log-out subroutine begins with step 210, in which the program is
waiting for a folder. The user places a folder 52 on the electronic
scale 130 and scans the bar code label 82 with the bar code reader
131 or alternatively enters a folder number and volume number via
the keyboard 92. In steps 214 and 216, the program determines if
the folder was scanned; if not scanned, the system sets a flag. In
step 216, as an option, a determination is made whether the file
folder is the last volume, by scanning the volume number in step
218. If there is no volume number, the last volume flag is set in
step 220, indicating that the file folder has only one volume. If
there is volume number, the last volume flag is reset in step 222.
The volume number is scanned in step 224 and the volume number is
stored in step 226.
[0129] For the folder number scanned from the bar code label 82 or
entered via the keyboard 92, the system compares the number in step
228 to valid file number criteria. If the file number is not valid,
an error message is returned to the screen 208.
[0130] Before a folder can be scanned, a determination is made in
step 232 whether there is a master record for the current file
folder 52. If there is no master record, the user is prompted in
step 234 to enter basic master record information such as the
patient's last and first name in step 235. If the master record was
present, or if the information was not added in step 236 to the
master at this time, the program exits in step 237. If the master
record was present in step 232, or if the information prompted for
was entered, the information is added in step 236, the program
proceeds to step 238 to process the folder in. Optionally, the
system can automatically create a master file without operator
intervention via the add auto step 240 and the add 242 step.
[0131] The program has the provision determining in step 244 if
there is a computer mainframe, and if so, updating the master
patient information in the mainframe in step 246.
[0132] The subroutine next determines in step 248 if the folder has
been logged or not. If the folder has not been logged, a
determination is made if there has been an auto log-out in step
250. If yes, the system automatically creates a logout 251. If no,
the user is prompted to enter logout information in step 252. If
the information has not been properly entered in step 254, the
program exits in step 256. If the folder was logged in step 248 or
if the information has been entered in response to the prompt, the
shelf space field of the record is updated in step 258.
[0133] The log-in part of the subroutine begins with step 260,
where a determination is made whether the file is being logged in.
If the file is not being logged in, the program exits in step 262.
If the file is being logged in, the program first locks all files
in step 264 and retrieves the master file in step 266.
[0134] The next part of the subroutine directly concerns the
weighing of the file folder 52 on the electronic scale 130 and the
determination of the folder's size. First, in step 268, it is
determined if the scale 130 is in use, indicating that the file
folder 52 is present. If the scale 130 is in use, the weight is
read in step 270. In step 272, a determination is made whether the
weight measurement is valid or whether an error occurred. If there
was a weight error, an error message is displayed in step 274 and
the program exits in step 276. If there is no weight error, the
size of the file folder 52 is calculated in step 278. The screen
and record are then updated with the next login data in step 280.
If the scale 130 was not in use in step 268, the program proceeds
directly to the update step 280.
[0135] The master file record is next updated with the new size
information in step 282, and if the shelf manager system 10 is
connected to a computer mainframe 40, in step 284, the updated
information is downloaded to the mainframe in step 286.
[0136] The system next proceeds to print a bar code label if
needed. First, in step 288, a determination is made whether the bar
code label printer 132 is in use, or ready to print a new label. In
step 290, if is determined whether the bar code for the file folder
52 had been scanned. If the bar code was not scanned, the
assumption is made that the file folder 52 requires bar code label
to be printed, and the label is printed in step 292, and the
non-scanned flag is reset in step 293.
[0137] In step 294, the file folder 52 is checked for any pending
requests, and if there are no pending requests, a determination is
made, in step 296, whether or not the folder 52 should be purged
from active file storage 18. If the decision is made to purge, an
off-site pending request is created in step 298 and the program
proceeds to step 306. If the determination is not to purge, the
program exits directly in step 300.
[0138] If there are pending requests, as determined in step 294,
the file folder 52 is logged out. The program first determines in
step 302 if there is more than one pending request; if there is,
the operator selects the next logout request in step 304. After
step 304, the program determines if the files are locked in step
306. If the files are not locked, an error message is displayed in
step 308 and the programs again exits at step 300. If all the files
are locked in step 306, the program proceeds in step 310 to
determine whether the scale 130 is in use, and if the weight on the
scale is valid in step 312. If the weight is not valid, an error
message is displayed in step 314 and the program exits in step 316.
If the weight is valid, the size of the folder is calculated in
step 318. If the scale was not is use, or after completion of
calculating the file size, the master file is updated in step 322.
In step 324, a determination is made if the present file folder 52
needs a new folder. If a new folder is required, the system user is
alerted in step 326, so that the folder data may be properly
supplied. Otherwise, a routing slip is printed to accompany the
file to the requestor's location. If the user manually inputs the
folder number into the system via the keyboard, the system prints a
new bar code label in step 332. In step 334 the scanned/volume
flags are reset and the program exits in step 336 to await a new
folder transaction.
[0139] Turning now to the subject of file folder purging, it has
been stated that an object of the present invention is to provide a
shelf manager system 10 which keeps the active file storage 18 as
nearly full as possible with files that have the highest
probability of being requested. The purpose of this, as stated
previously, is to minimize the expensive transport of files, to and
from the off-site storage facility 22.
[0140] FIGS. 13 and 14a-14c describe the program flow of the purge
program. Ideally, the purge program is performed in real time while
scanning folders in or periodically, such as on a nightly basis.
The purpose of the purge program is to determine whether any
individual shelf subsections are more than a predetermined
percentage full. To make this determination, the purge program uses
the thickness data for each file folder 52 within a file subsection
54. As discussed previously, purge program looks at each shelf
subsection 54 independently to determine if a subsection is filled
beyond its preset threshold value. If the threshold value is
exceeded, the purge program uses file usage algorithms to remove
the file folders 52 within a shelf subsection 54 which have the
lowest probability of being requested in the future.
[0141] Initially, when an active file storage facility 18 is being
set up for the first time to utilize the shelf manager system 10 of
the present invention, an initial audit of the entire facility 18
will normally be conducted. During this audit, each shelf section
will be measured. The total occupied inches of files for each
section will also be measured for each middle digit section (1000
total), according the terminal digit filing system discussed above.
Thus, for each middle digit section, an occupied percentage of
physical inches available will be initially established and mapped
to the database of the shelf manager system 10. This is a required
first step.
[0142] FIG. 13 is a generalized view of the file folder purging
process as it occurs after the initial audit. Whenever a file
folder 52 is logged-in via a logging station 128 in step 338, it is
weighed and its thickness determined. The shelf manager system 10
then determines in step 340 if the threshold percentage for the
file folder's subsection has been exceeded by the newly measured
thickness for the file folder 52. This determination will be made
by comparing the total file inches of all file folders in the
subsection, including the newly logged-in file folder 52, to the
available inches in the shelf subsection, and determining if the
percentage full exceeds a threshold percentage, generally 90 to 95
percent, which can be set by the user. If the threshold has been
exceeded for that folder's section, shelf manager 10 automatically
invokes the purge subroutine in step 342.
[0143] Once the purge subroutine has been invoked, the purge
process proceeds in two stages. In the first stage, step 344,
purging algorithms are applied to all files in a section to
identify certain "special files" which are automatically added to
the purge list. These special files are identified according to
criteria which establishes a low probability that the file will be
requested in the future. Certain special criteria are based on
patterns in the patient's visit history, including the
following:
[0144] Breaks in Patient's Visit History--Five visits in the last
two years followed by no visits in the last six months is generally
indicative of a patient's death off-site, or a situation stabilized
enough to not require further treatment at the facility, or a move
to an alternative treatment center.
[0145] Distant Zip Codes--If patient's home zip code does not match
any local zip codes, this may be indicative of a patient who was
traveling and will not return for any subsequent visits.
[0146] Disease Codes--Certain disease codes, such as specific types
of cancer, followed by no visits for a predetermined time period
may be indicative of a patient's death off-site, or a move to an
alternative treatment center.
[0147] Administrative requests--Non-diagnosis or non-treatment
requests are generally one time only requests.
[0148] Periodic Treatment Codes--Certain treatments are periodic,
such as annual mammography tests. The file folders should be purged
to off-site storage 22 at the conclusion of the patient's visit and
returned prior to the next scheduled exam.
[0149] New Unit Numbers--Approximately five percent of new patients
seen by a medical facility are chronically ill, thus leaving 95
percent of newly added patients as episodic and may therefore be
safely removed after six months of inactivity.
[0150] In the second stage, in step 346, a determination is made
whether additional purging is required to bring the subsection
percentage below the threshold value. If additional files need to
be purged, all the remaining files in a shelf subsection 54 are
ranked in step 348 in order of the last time each was requested.
The assumption is that the longer a file remains in active file
storage 18, the higher the probability that it will be requested in
the future. In step 350, files are added in reverse rank order to
the purge list, with the program recalculating the subsection
percentage as each file is added to the list, until the subsection
percentage is below the threshold setting for that subsection.
[0151] This process is continued all logged-in folders until all
affected subsections exceeding the threshold percentages have been
purged. A purge list is then printed to be used as a guide to
personnel who physically remove the files from the shelves. This
process occurs as shelves fill to the threshold, which could result
in a small group of folders being removed daily vs. the accepted
practice of purging yearly.
[0152] It is contemplated that in some instances, a file purge
could be conducted for all the sections in the file storage
facility 16, at the same time or in succession. For example, if the
user changed the threshold percentage from a higher to a lower
number, (for example from 95 percent to 90 percent), to provide
more space in all the shelf sections, the purge subroutine could be
run for all shelf sections.
[0153] Turning to FIGS. 14a-14c, the purge program is shown in more
detail. In step 351, the purge program is initiated. The total file
inches for the first shelf subsection is retrieved in step 352 and
the total file inches used for that subsection is retrieved in step
354. The percentage of shelf inches used is then calculated in step
356. If it is determined that the threshold percentage is not
exceeded, in step 358, the program will determine if other shelve
subsections need to be tested for purging in step 360. If there are
other shelf subsections, the program will go back to step 352; if
not, the program will print the purge list in step 362 and end the
purge program in step 364. However, if the threshold is exceeded in
step 358, a determination will be made whether to purge in the
shelf subsection in step 366. If the determination is not to purge,
the program will go to step 352 and select data for the next shelf
subsection; if the determination is to purge, the program will
proceed to start the special purge with step 368.
[0154] As discussed in connection with FIG. 13, if a file folder 54
meets certain special criteria, the determination will be made to
immediately purge that file folder 54. In step 370, the file is
tested for breaks in patient visit history. In step 372, the file
is tested for out-of-state zip codes. In step 374, the file is
tested for specific disease codes that are episodic vs. chronic in
nature. In step 376, the file is tested for administrative
requests. In step 378, the file is tested for periodic treatment
codes. If any of these tests are positive, the file identifier for
that file is added to the purge list in step 380 and the percentage
of shelf inches used is recalculated in step 382 followed by a
determination of whether the percentage still exceeds the threshold
in step 384. If the percentage does not exceed the threshold, the
program goes step to 360 to choose the next shelf subsection.
[0155] If all the identified files have been added to the purge
list, and the threshold is still exceeded, the program proceeds to
step 386, where the files are ranked in the order of the date last
requested. In step 388, the inches for the lowest ranking file are
retrieved. The identifier for the lowest ranking file is added to
the purge list in step 390. In step 392, the percentage of shelf
subsection inches used is recalculated and a determination is made
in step 394 if the percentage still exceeds the threshold for that
subsection. If it does, the program loops back and purges the next
lowest ranking file. This procedure continues until the shelf
subsection percentage is below the threshold value; if the
percentage does not exceed the threshold, the program goes to step
360 for the next shelf subsection.
[0156] The purging files criteria in the preferred embodiment are
particularized for medical care files. However, the principles of
the present invention are equally application to other file
environments, as previously discussed. For example, in the banking
industry the special criteria for purging mortgage files would
include:
[0157] On-Time Loan Payments for a Predetermined Number of
Months--Indicative of continual and reliable mortgage payments that
are likely to continue and not require attention.
[0158] Deadbeats--Indicative of uncollectible loans, and more
active file.
[0159] Loan Repaid--Indicative of completed loan activity, where
the file can be safely removed to off-site storage.
[0160] As another example, in the insurance industry the special
criteria for purging insurance claim files would include:
[0161] Months Without Request since Claim Was Paid--This would be
indicative of completed activity with regard to a claim.
[0162] Settled Claims--Indicative of completed insurance claim
activity, where the file can be safely removed to off-site
storage.
[0163] Referring now to FIGS. 15 and 16, the Pending Requests user
screen and flowchart are shown. The pending request subroutine is
used for tracking requests for file folders. In step 398, the
pending request subroutine PNDW is initiated, causing the pending
requests screen to be displayed in step 400. In step 402, the user
may choose to add information to the pending request file, and is
prompted to do so in step 404. When all needed data has been
entered, in step 406, the program returns to step 400; or if the
information is not entered, an error message will be displayed in
step 408. In step 410, the user may choose to search for a pending
request and is prompted to enter search criteria in step 410. If
the data is found, it is displayed in step 414. If it is not found,
a "Not Found" message is displayed in step 416. The user may also
choose to delete a pending request entry in step 418 and carry out
the deletion in step 420
[0164] Referring now to FIGS. 17 through 19, the Folders Master
user screens and flowchart are shown. The folders master contains
the basic information about a file folder such as the last time
logged out, the date logged out, requester, location, as well as
other information. In step 426, the folders master subroutine MSTW
is initiated, causing the folder master screen to be displayed in
step 428. In step 430, the user may choose to add information to
the master file and is prompted to do so in step 432. When all
needed data has been entered, in step 434, the program returns to
step 400, or if the information is not entered, an error message
will be displayed in step 436. In step 438, the user may choose to
search for a master record and is prompted to enter search criteria
in step 440. If the data is found it is displayed in step 442. If
it is not found, a "Not Found" message is displayed in step 444.
The user may also choose to delete a master file entry in step 446
and carry out the deletion in step 448.
[0165] Turning now to FIGS. 20 and 21, the Log-Ins & Log-Outs
History user screen and flowchart are shown. The log-Ins &
log-out history provides a history record of activity associated
with a file folder 54. In step 452, the log-Ins & log-out
history subroutine TRHWD is initiated, causing the log-Ins &
log-out history screen to be displayed in step 454. In step 456,
the user may choose to correct information in the log-ins &
log-outs history file and is prompted to do so in step 458. When
all needed data has been entered, in step 460, the program returns
to step 454, or if the information is not entered, an error message
will be displayed in step 462. In step 464, the user may choose to
search for a log-ins & log-outs history record and is prompted
to enter search criteria in step 466. If the data is found it is
displayed in step 468. If it is not found, a "Not Found" message is
displayed in step 470.
[0166] Referring to FIGS. 22 through 23, the Shelf Space user
screens and flowchart are shown. The shelf space screen provides
information on shelves including shelf size, shelf location, inches
used, and percent used. In step 474, shelf space subroutine SHFW is
initiated, causing the shelf space screen to be displayed in step
476. In step 478, the user may choose to add information to the
shelf file is prompted to do so in step 480. When all needed data
has been entered, in step 482, the program returns to step 476, or
if the information is not entered, an error message will be
displayed in step 484. In step 486, the user may choose to search
for a shelf entry and is prompted to enter search criteria in step
488. If the data is found it is displayed in step 490. If it is not
found, a "Not Found" message is displayed in step 492. The user may
also choose to delete a shelf file entry in step 494 and carry out
the deletion in step 496.
[0167] FIGS. 24a-24h and FIG. 25 illustrate the user screens and
flowchart for the Print Reports Subroutine. The print reports menu
is used to print reports, folder labels, shelf labels and new
volume labels. In step 498, the REPORT MENU subroutine is
initiated, causing the report menu screen to be displayed. The
report menu screen gives the user several options for printing
reports. The user may choose to print a pull list in step 502
initiating the print subroutine PNDW in step 504. The user may
choose to print a pull history in step 506 initiating the print
subroutine TRHWR in step 508. The user may choose to print a folder
aging report, which shows the age of scanned out files, in step 510
initiating the print subroutine AGEW in step 512. The user may
choose to print a file folder bar code label in step 514 initiating
the print subroutine FLDWL in step 516. The user may choose to
print a purge list in step 518 initiating the print subroutine
PRGWL in step 520. The steps 522 and 524 are steps reserved for
future expansion and not currently used. The user may chose to
print a shelf label in step 526 initiating the print subroutine
SHFWL in step 528. The user may choose to print the labels for a
new file folder volume in step 530 initiating the print subroutine
VOLW in step 532. Finally, the user may choose to exit the report
menu in step 534 initiating the exit function EXIT in step 536.
in.
[0168] FIGS. 26 and 27 shows the user screen and flowchart for the
Appointments subroutine APPTW. The updating of appointments can
occur either automatically or periodically from the computer
mainframe 40, or manually by selecting the Appointments button 176
on the Main Menu. While the shelf manager 10 is being updated with
new appointments from the computer mainframe 40, a message box is
displayed on the display screen 91. No user interaction is required
while this process takes place.
[0169] FIGS. 28 and 29 shows the user screen and flowchart for the
Audit System subroutine AUDW. In step 542, the audit system
subroutine is initiated, causing an audit of the entire database
126, in which certain types of data errors are identified, such as
blank and incorrect records and various data mismatches. A screen
prompt 544 presents a summary of the audit results. By clicking on
a screen prompt, the audit details will be displayed on the screen
91. The user will then have the choice in step 546 of printing out
the audit details in step 548 or exiting in step 550.
[0170] Turning now to FIGS. 30 and 31, the Remote Scans user screen
and flowchart are shown. The remote scan function allows a user to
update the location of a file folder 52 by using a portable bar
code scanner, which records scans to be later uploaded into the
shelf manager system 10. In step 560, the remote scans subroutine
RDRWT is initiated, causing a screen prompt to dock the scanner to
be displayed in step 562. In step 564, the program may be canceled
by the user causing the error message in step 566 to be displayed.
In step 568, the user is prompted to initiate the uploading of the
data and send the transaction in step 570 to the computer 88. The
transaction is processed by the computer 88 in step 572 and the
updated file data is displayed in step 574
[0171] Referring now to FIG. 32, the Measure Shelves flowchart is
shown. The measure shelves subroutine allows the user to record,
measure, and label folders on each of the shelves. In step 576, the
measure shelves SHLWS is initiated, causing the scan prompt to be
displayed in step 578. The folder number is input in step 582. If
the file folder was not scanned in step 582, indicating that there
is no label, a label will be printed in step 584. If the file has a
volume number in step 586, the volume number will be stored in step
588. If there is no volume number, the file will be considered to
be a single file folder. In step 590, the user indicates if the
file folder is in-file or out-of-file. If the file is out, the
"folder out" flag is set in step 592. If the folder is in, the file
will be updated in step 594 and the user operator is prompted to
scan the folder.
[0172] Referring now to FIGS. 33 and 34, the Add Employee user
screen and flowchart are shown. The add employee subroutine allows
the user to list all employees engaged in folder scanning along
with their passwords. In step 596, the Add Employee subroutine EMP
is initiated, causing the add employee screen to be displayed in
step 598. In step 600, the user may choose to add information to
the employee file and is prompted to do so in step 602. When all
needed data has been entered, in step 604, the program returns to
step 598, or if the information is not entered, an error message
will be displayed in step 606. In step 608, the user may choose to
search for an employee record and is prompted to enter search
criteria in step 610. If the data is found it is displayed in step
612. If it is not found, a "Not Found" message is displayed in step
614. The user may also choose to delete an employee file entry in
step 616 and carry out the deletion in step 618.
[0173] Turning to FIGS. 35 and 36, the Add Locations user screens
and flowchart are shown. The add locations subroutine allows the
user to enter the locations for logged-out files, including those
in off-site locations. In step 620, the add locations subroutine
LOCW is initiated, causing the add locations to be displayed in
step 622. In step 624, the user may choose to add information to
the location file and is prompted to do so in step 626. When all
needed data has been entered, in step 628, the program returns to
step 622, or if the information is not entered, an error message
will be displayed in step 630. In step 632, the user may choose to
search for a location file entry and is prompted to enter search
criteria in step 634. If the data is found it is displayed in step
636. If it is not found, a "Not Found" message is displayed in step
638. The user may also choose to delete a location file entry in
step 640 and carry out the deletion in step 642.
[0174] Referring to FIGS. 37 and 38, the System Setup user screen
and flowchart are shown. The system setup subroutine allows the
user to set and modify the configuration parameters used by the
shelf manager system 10. In step 644, the system setup subroutine
SYSW is initiated, causing the system setup screen to be displayed
in step 646. In step 648, the user may choose to edit or change
system parameters and is prompted to do so in step 650. When all
the data has been entered, in step 652, the program returns to step
646. If the information is not entered, an error message will be
displayed in step 654. If the decision is not to change the system
setup information, the programs exits in step 656.
[0175] Now, turning to FIGS. 39 and 40, the compress file user
screen and flowchart are shown. The compress file function is used
periodically to reorganize and streamline all the application
files. In step 658, the compress files subroutine FILWC is
initiated, causing the "check application" prompt to be displayed
in step 660, as the files are checked. If the files are deemed to
be damaged in step 662, a file recovery procedure is run in step
664. If the files are not-damaged, all files are indexed in step
666, and upon completion, the program exits in step 668.
[0176] FIG. 41 shows a graphical user interface screen 670 for use
with the present invention, which allows the user to search for or
to add file data associated with x-ray film jackets. The screen 670
displays log-in and log-out data for various x-ray jacket types,
which may have different jacket thicknesses when empty. The screen
670 is divided into a plurality of functional sections. The inquiry
section 672 allows the user to display pending and purge lists, the
master patient index, and the log-in and log-outs. The add to or
edit section 674 allows the user to enter or edit pending and purge
lists as well as the master patient index. The print pull list
section 676 allows the user to print out a pull list or display it
on the monitor screen 91. The maintenance section 678 allows the
user to print routing slips as well as perform maintenance
operations associated with the electronic scale 130 and the label
printer 132.
[0177] Turning now to FIG. 42, an alternative embodiment of the
present invention is shown. As discussed above, the shelf manager
system 10 of the present invention can track multiple file requests
for active files. Multiple requests can arise when different
medical departments in a patient medical care facility 14 need to
see the same patient's file.
[0178] It is often the case that a medical file is requested
simultaneously by different clinical departments within the medical
care facility 14. For example, pertinent parts of a patient's
medical records may need to be reviewed by both the radiology
department 26 and the pathology departments 28. Because there is
only one paper copy of a patient's file, these two requests would
need to be filled serially by sending the paper file to the first
department and then to the second. The second requesting department
will need to wait until the first department is finished with the
patient's file and re-routed to the second requesting department.
This can be a serious drawback in the case of a patient who is
undergoing treatment by the first and second department.
[0179] This embodiment of the present invention supplements
patient's file folder 52 by providing electronic or paper copies of
the files to each of the requesting departments so that both the
first requesting department and the second requesting department
could review the file, or pertinent parts of the file, concurrently
rather than serially.
[0180] This embodiment, which is illustrated in FIG. 42, may be
described as intelligent imaging. The present embodiment includes a
modified logging station 128 which includes a computer system 88,
an electronic scale 130, a bar code reader 131, a label printer
132, and a network connection 124. In addition, the logging station
128 includes a flatbed image scanner 682, which is used to scan
pages of documents into the computer system, so that they may be
provided to the requesting department in electronic form or printed
out in paper form.
[0181] In this embodiment, a patient file 52 is selectively
scanned. It has been recognized that some parts of a patient's file
is more pertinent than other parts, and it is only these parts that
would need to be scanned and duplicated. Typically the pertinent
parts of a patient's file would be a subset or abstract of the
total information the file contains. In the case of a medical care
facility 14, the scanned information is limited to clinical
information and lab results if not already available in electronic
form, and only that information needed by doctors and other medical
personnel to carry on medical diagnostic work for a patient. The
pertinent information is scanned and stored in an electronic data
base, and it is reproduced and duplicated at the time the request
is made.
[0182] The logging station 128 also includes, optionally, a
pen-based input device input device 684. With the pen-based input
device 684, handwritten annotations may be made to the electronic
copies of the files. The logging station 128 also includes a voice
recognition interface 686 so that voice annotations could be
likewise made to the documents. The basic document pages, along
with their various pen and voice annotations, may be described as
hybrid documents.
[0183] Now, turning to FIG. 43, another embodiment of the present
invention is shown. In this embodiment the file folders are
fabricated with implanted radio-frequency identification tags to
automatically identify each file 52 when it passes close to a radio
frequency identification reader embedded in a doorway detection
system.
[0184] Radio frequency identification tags in the present
embodiment are of the type manufactured by Texas Instruments of
Dallas, Tex. The basic RFID tag consists of a thin microelectronic
memory and control transponder chip surrounded by a flat antenna
wire. Power and data are provided to the chip by an RFID reader,
emitting a modulated radio frequency field which powers the chip by
field induction and reads or writes data to the chip, as needed.
The RFID tag can thus store the same information provided by a bar
code label to efficiently identify a file when it is in close
proximity to a RFID reader. In this embodiment, the information
written and read out of the RFID tag represents the patient
Identification number, which is linked to the patient's master
record.
[0185] In FIG. 43, the file folder 52 includes a RFID tag 688. In
this embodiment, the RFID tag 688 is affixed to the file folder 52
in the manufacturing process by inserting the RFID tag 688 between
the glued seams of a reinforced double-sided file folder 52.
[0186] FIG. 43 shows a logging station 128, including a computer
88, an electronic scale 130, a bar code reader 131, a label printer
132, and a network connection 124. Additionally, the logging
station 128 includes an RFID interface 690.
[0187] The RFID tag 688 communicates by means of an RFID reader
692, shown schematically as being mounted in a door frame 694. The
RFID interface 690 receives identification information from the
RFID reader 692 for input into the shelf manager system 10. The
present embodiment operates the same way as the preferred
embodiment, except that the RFID tag 688 and reader 692 takes the
place of the bar-code label 82 and the bar code reader 131 in
identifying files that are being moved through the door frame 694,
one at a time or in bulk. Also, the system has the capability of
writing identification information into the RFID tags of new files,
taking the place of the bar-code label printer 132. Passive
tracking of file folders or x-ray jackets is provided without the
operator needing to pick up a scanner 134 and actively scan the
file or x-ray jacket into or out of the active file storage 18.
[0188] A further alternative embodiment of the present invention
will now be described in connection with FIG. 44, which utilizes an
on-demand digital color printing system to create new color-coded
file folders for use with the shelf manager system 10, as needed.
This embodiment overcomes the inefficiencies of maintaining large
inventories of blank file folders. Color coded labels 74 are
typically affixed to the blank files. Bar-coded information and
patient identification information must be added at the appropriate
time. With the system of this embodiment, the file folders are
created as needed, and can be created in completely finished form
in advance of a patient's first visit to the medical center 12.
[0189] FIG. 44 shows a logging station 128, including a computer
88, an electronic scale 130, a bar code reader 131, a label printer
132, and a network connection 124. The logging station 128 also
includes an interface 696 to an on-demand printing system.
[0190] In the manufacture of file folders 52, according to the
present embodiment, a blank file folder is printed on a digital
color press 698 from data stored in the database 126 of the shelf
manager system 10.
[0191] The file folder 52 is printed to include the color coding,
the bar code label, and patient name received through interface 696
from the computer 88, based on patient record information included
in the database 126 or from a cental medical database 42. Printing
occurs directly on the file folder substrate 63, shown in FIG. 4.
Printing on the file folder 52, in step 698, is accomplished by a
digital color press of the type manufactured by Indigo N.V. of
Maastricht, The Netherlands, which utilizes liquid toner for high
speed color printing for the CMYK color printing process to create
the colors. Alternatively, an industrial color inkjet printer may
be used, such as a Model 2001 Graphics Printing System available
from Videojet Systems International, Inc. of Wood Dale, Ill. The
color inkjet printing system uses up to 40 print heads to produce
10 colors in four positions for printing color file folders, file
pockets, or x-ray jackets directly on the substrate. The color
inkjet printer provides additional cost savings over the digital
press by requiring less ink to produce each file folder 52. Both of
these printing methods may be used to create file folders 52 which
are color-coded for the terminal digit filing system earlier
described.
[0192] The die cutting of the folder stock occurs at step 700. In
the next step 702, the folder 52 is glued and, optionally, an RFID
tag 688 is inserted.
[0193] A method of controlling the printing of labels is described
in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,939,674 and 5,621,864 to Price et al., which
are hereby incorporated by reference. The teachings of the Price et
al. patents may be used with this embodiment of the present
invention for its teaching of the automatic generation of indicia
fields and formatting. However, as stated above, the present
invention utilizes direct printing on the file-folder substrate 63
rather than printed labels as described in the Price et al.
patents.
[0194] With the system shown in FIG. 44, the completed file folder
52 is created as needed, complete with all proper color coding, bar
coding, and patient information, along with the embedded RFID tag
688, if desired. In addition, since there are no labels, the
traditional step of adding labels is eliminated, providing a
manufacturing cost savings. Also, since the file folders 52 do not
require labels, the thickness of the file folder tabs 70 is
reduced, providing greater file storage density on the shelf units
46. Finally, the file folders 52 lasts longer, due to reduced wear.
In conventional labels folders, the stick-on labels 74 have a
tendency to rub against each other as the file folders 52 are filed
and re-filed on the shelf units 46, causing wear and reducing the
active life of the file folders 52.
[0195] These various embodiments come within the scope of the
present invention. The inventor's preferred embodiments, which are
described in detail herein, are exemplary of all possible
embodiments which practice the spirit of the present invention. The
discussion of these embodiments should not be construed as limiting
the scope of the appended claims. In view of this, it is understood
that the above description is illustrative rather than
limiting.
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