Patent Application
20150035648
This invention relates generally to equipment and instrumentation and, in particular, to apparatus and methods for ensuring that genuine consumable components are used with such devices.
In many industries, companies design machines and/or instruments that require auxiliary devices during operation. For an example, an arc welder uses cable; medical insufflators use tubing sets, IV pumps and controllers, automotive vehicles may require body parts, windshields, and tires; and so forth.
A significant problem, particularly in the medical device area, is that many substandard parts are released into the market by competing companies that only manufacture the auxiliary device(s). Replacement parts or consumable components provided by non-OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) may not fit properly, or may cause the equipment for which they are supplied to malfunction or not work at all, particularly if lower in quality than genuine replacement parts.
This invention is directed to apparatus and methods for ensuring that only genuine, licensed or authorized parts are used with a system. The apparatus comprises visual indicia on or in the part confirming that the part is genuine, licensed or authorized. A scanner or camera on or in the system reads the visual indicia, and a controller in communication with the scanner or camera is operative to reduce the functionality of the system if the visual indicia is incomplete or not present. In accordance with the embodiment, the system may not operate if the visual indicia is incomplete or not present.
The visual indicia may include a trademark, logo, or other information proprietary to a source of origin. The system may be a piece of medical equipment, and the part may be a consumable. As examples, the system may be a medical insufflators, and the part may be an insufflation set. Alternatively, the system may be a medical IV pump, medical IV controller, medical ventilator tubing set, medical respirator set, medical EEG set, medical EKG set, medical smoke evacuator set, medical body warming device, medical anaesthesiology set, medical suction irrigation set, medical cautery pencil or set, medical, floor fluid management device, medical pressure monitor, medical esophageal kit, medical ureteral kit, or a medical surgical navigation system.
In broad and general terms, this invention ensures that only genuine (or authorized) replacement or consumable parts are used with consumer, commercial and industrial instruments and devices. Genuine or authorized parts include visual indicia that is scanned, and the instrument or device does not operate, or does not provide all desired functionality, if the scanned indicia is not interpreted as acceptable. In the preferred embodiments, the scanned indicia includes a proprietary trademark, logo, design or wording that would cause a supplier of non-genuineor non-authorized replacement or consumable parts to violate the trademark, copyright or other intellectual property rights of the OEM.
Human interface 108 would represent and input devices such as switches, dials, etc., as well as any output devices such as meters, lights, display, audible devices, and so forth. The system 102 further includes a power supply 110. Although the supply 110 is shown connecting to a wall plug 112, power supply 110 may be self-contained and battery operated, for example.
In accordance with the invention, system 102 further includes a scanner 120 which, in the preferred embodiment, is a CCD camera in conjunction with OCR (optical character recognition) software. The scanner 122 may be interfaced to a graphics processing unit 122 which, in turns feeds controller 104, or the scanner may interface directly to the controller 104 as shown by the broken lines if the controller is capable of performing image-recognition functions.
Part 124 is placed in the field of view of scanner 120 to determine if part 124 is genuine and/or authorized. There may be different ways to expose part 124 to scanner 120 as discussed below. The genuine and/or authorized part includes visual indicia 130 which the scanner images and delivers the image data to GPU 122 or controller 104 for analysis. If the indicia 130 is deemed acceptable, the part 124 may be installed into the system via interface 126, 128. Alternatively, as described below, the part 124 may already be installed in the equipment or instrument when scanned.
If the part 124 in not deemed genuine and/or authorized, various functions may occur separately or together. For example, the entire piece of equipment may be disabled by controller 104 preventing power supply 110 to provide operational power. Some or all of the human interface may be disabled, such that some functions may be allowed whereas others may not, particularly those associated with the non-genuine part. As an option, an alarm may sound via human interface 108.
As a further option, the system may be provided with a wireless transmitter or transceiver 140 to alert a remote site that an attempt to use a replacement or consumable part is being used. Such communications may be in any form, including WiFi, satellite, etc. The remote site may perform various functions, such as analysis of the image gathered by the scanner 120, a look up of a computer-readable code scanned by scanner 120, etc. If communications block 140 is bi-directional, authorization to use the system 102 may come from the remote site. As one example of many, to slow down car theft, the visual indicia on a replacement windshield or other part might include a serial number which would then require the manufacture to send a satellite down load to the car to accept the part to ensure that the part was not stolen and that the part was an original OEM component. In this embodiment, a car constitutes system 102 and the windshield represents an auxiliary part 124.
In the embodiment of
In the preferred embodiments, the legend or indicia further includes some type of graphical symbol such as a company logo or proprietary design such that copying induces trademark and/or copyright violation or consumer fraud. One example of many is “GENUINE PART.” The lettering could be inscribed or printed as long as it was clearly legible it could be on any shape of surface as long as the reader camera was properly placed. The scanning device 120 ensures that only the product(s) that were properly licensed or manufactured by the instrument manufacturer would run on the instrument 102.
The camera/scanner need not be disposed in the system. As shown in
This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/859,978, filed Jul. 30, 2013, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61859978 | Jul 2013 | US |
