1. A computer-implemented method for locating and inspecting radiology shields, comprising:
(a) providing a set of radiology shields, each of said radiology shields having a unique identifier thereon, and each of said radiology shields carrying a passive RFID tag, said passive RFID tag associated with said unique identifier;
(b) providing a central database, said database comprising common data and individual shield data, said common data comprising:
(i) an inspection time interval for said radiology shields, and
(ii) authorized users for said method;
and said individual shield data comprising, for each of said radiology shields:
(i\u2032) the unique identifier for said radiology shield;
(ii\u2032) the RFID tag associated with said radiology shield;
(iii\u2032) a date of last inspection for said radiology shield; and
(iv\u2032) a pass or fail inspection determination for said radiology shield at said last inspection;
(c) transmitting said common data and individual shield data for at least shields to be inspected to a portable RPM reader;
(d) identifying, with said portable RFID reader, shields to be inspected based on said inspection time interval and said data of last inspection;
(e) entering a determination of pass or fail inspection into said portable RFID reader for each of said shields to be inspected; and then
(f) updating said central database individual shield data for each of said shields to be inspected from said portable RFID reader.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said radiology shields are stored in a plurality of different locations within a common medical facility.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein said radiology shields are stored in a plurality of different locations at a plurality of different medical facilities.
4. The method of claim 1, said common data further comprising:
(iii) pre-assigned locations for said radiology shields within a medical facility;
(iv) a set of types of radiology shields; andor
(v) a set of inspection failure reasons.
5. The method of claim 1, said shield data further comprising:
(v\u2032) the last location of said radiology shield;
(vi\u2032) the last inspector of said radiology shield; andor
(vii\u2032) the reason if any for a fail inspection determination for said radiology shield.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein said set of radiology shields comprise vests, skirts, aprons, apron sets, half aprons, gloves, goggles, glasses, face masks or screens, gonad shields, thyroid shields, or combinations thereof.
7. The method of claim 4, wherein said set of types comprises at least two of vests, skirts, aprons, apron sets, half aprons, gloves, goggles, glasses, face masks or screens, gonad shields, and thyroid shields.
8. The method of claim 4, wherein said set of inspection failure reasons comprises at least two, three or four of: ripripped, teartorn, crackcracked, burnburned, stainstained, cut, and holeperforation.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting step is carried out over wireless network, preferably a local area network.
10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step on (g) generating a report on said set of shields from said central database.
11. The method of claim 10, said report comprising, for each of said shields:
a date of last inspection for said radiology shield; and
a pass or fail inspection determination for said radiology shields at said last inspection.
12. A system for locating and inspecting radiology shields, comprising:
(a) a set of radiology shields, each of said radiology shields having a unique identifier thereon, and each of said radiology shields carrying a passive RFID tag, said passive RFID tag associated with said unique identifier;
(b) a central database, said database comprising common data and individual shield data, said common data comprising:
(i) an inspection time interval for said radiology shields, and
(ii) authorized users for said method;
and said individual shield data comprising, for each of said radiology shields:
(i\u2032) the unique identifier for said radiology shield;
(ii\u2032) the RFID tag associated with said radiology shield;
(iii\u2032) a date of last inspection for said radiology shield; and
(iv\u2032) a pass or fail inspection determination for said radiology shield at said last inspection;
(c) a portable RFID reader;
(d) means for transmitting said common data and individual shield data for at least shields to be inspected to a portable RFID reader;
(d) means for identifying, with said portable RFID reader, shields to be inspected based on said inspection time interval and said data of last inspection;
(e) means for entering a determination of pass or fail inspection into said portable RFID reader for each of said shields to be inspected; and
(f) means for updating said central database individual shield data for each of said shields to be inspected from said portable RFID reader.
13. The system of claim 12, wherein said radiology shields are stored in a plurality of different locations within a common medical facility.
14. The system of claim 12, wherein said radiology shields are stored in a plurality of different locations at a plurality of different medical facilities.
15. The system of claim 12, said common data further comprising:
(iii) pre-assigned locations for said radiology shields within a medical facility;
(iv) a set of types of radiology shields; andor
(v) a set of inspection failure reasons.
16. The system of claim 12, said shield data further comprising:
(v\u2032) the last location of said radiology shield;
(vi\u2032) the last inspector of said radiology shield; andor
(vii\u2032) the reason if any for a fail inspection determination for said radiology shield.
17. The system of claim 15, wherein said set of radiology shields comprise vests, skirts, aprons, apron sets, half aprons, gloves, goggles, glasses, face masks or screens, gonad shields, thyroid shields, or combinations thereof.
18. The system of claim 15, wherein said set of types comprises at least two of vests, skirts, aprons, apron sets, half aprons, gloves, goggles, glasses, face masks or screens, gonad shields, and thyroid shields.
19. The system of claim 15, wherein said set of inspection failure reasons comprises at least two, three or four of ripripped, teartorn, crackcracked, burnburned, stainstained, cut, and holeperforation.
20. The system of claim 12, wherein said transmitting step is carried out over wireless network, preferably a local area network.
21. The system of claim 12, further comprising:
(g) means for generating a report on said set of shields from said central database.
22. The system of claim 21, said report comprising, for each of said shields:
a date of last inspection for said radiology shield; and
a pass or fail inspection determination for said radiology shields at said last inspection.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A beach umbrella comprising: a canopy;
a pole comprised of two portions, the two portions being an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion connected to the canopy, and the upper portion and lower portion further having interior walls;
the lower portion further has a compartment located within the lower portion, the compartment being storage for a battery pack, and the lower portion further comprises a drive mechanism that is rotatably affixed to an auger bit, and the auger bit being rotated by operation of the drive mechanism, the rotation of the auger bit causing the auger bit to extend out of the lower portion of the beach umbrella.
2. The beach umbrella of claim 1 wherein the drive mechanism further comprises an electric motor, and a drive head mechanically connected to the electric motor, wherein the electric motor is electrically connected through an operating switch to the battery pack and wherein the electric motor is electrically reversible through operation of the operating switch.
3. The beach umbrella of claim 2 wherein the auger bit is attached to the drive head and the drive head is disposed within spiral grooves that are formed in the interior wall of the lower portion, the spiral grooves corresponding to raised spiral teeth disposed on the drive head, and as the drive mechanism engages and rotates, the auger bit rotates in the same direction as the rotation of the drive mechanism, and the drive mechanism and the auger bit move in the downward direction.
4. The beach umbrella of claim 3 wherein the operating switch-provides means for turning the motor on and off, as well as reversing the rotation of the motor.
5. The beach umbrella of claim 4 and where, as the motor is energized from the battery pack, the rotation of the electrical motor causes rotation of the drive head, which rotates, causing the raised spiral teeth to move within the spiral grooves, causing the drive head and the auger bit to rotate and extend out of the lower portion or, upon reversal of the electric motor, rotate and be withdrawn into the lower portion.
6. The beach umbrella of claim 5 wherein the electric motor further comprises raised portions that are disposed within vertical grooves formed within the interior wall of the lower portion such that the electric motor, when energized, may move vertically within the lower portion as the drive head rotates and moves up and down within the lower portion.
7. The beach umbrella of claim 1 wherein the upper portion further comprises a hollow bottom end and the lower portion further comprises a top part that is narrower than the inside diameter of the hollow bottom end of the upper portion, the hollow bottom end connecting the upper portion to the lower portion by the hollow bottom end sliding over the top part of the lower portion.
8. The beach umbrella of claim 7 wherein the upper portion and the lower portion each further comprise corresponding holes that will create a communicative opening straight through the upper portion and the lower portion once the upper portion and the lower portion are connected, and wherein the upper portion and the lower portion, once connected, are locked together using a locking pin wherein the locking pin inserts through the corresponding holes in the upper portion and the lower portion.
9. The beach umbrella of claim 8 wherein the locking pin is a spring-loaded locking pin that is mechanically mounted on the lower portion, and is compressed as the upper portion slides over the lower portion to then extend outward through a corresponding hole in the upper portion as the hole aligns with the locking pin.
10. The beach umbrella of claim 1 wherein the canopy may be mechanically raised and lowered.
11. The beach umbrella of claim 1 further comprising telescoping legs which are hingedly attached to the lower portion and may be extended from the lower portion to rest on or within the ground.
12. A beach umbrella comprising:
a canopy;
a lower portion and an upper portion, the upper portion and lower portion further having interior walls;
a battery pack;
the lower portion has a compartment located within the lower portion, the compartment being storage for the battery pack; and the lower portion further comprising a drive mechanism and an auger bit; wherein the drive mechanism comprises an operating switch, an electric motor electrically connected to the battery pack through the operating switch, the electrical motor having a shaft, a drive head mechanically connected to the shaft of the electric motor, the electric motor being electrically reversible through operation of the operating switch, and the auger bit mechanically attached to the drive head; wherein the electric motor further comprises raised portions that are disposed within vertical grooves disposed within the lower portion such that the electric motor, when energized by operation of the operating switch, may move vertically within the lower portion, the drive head is disposed within spiral groves that are disposed within the lower portion, the spiral grooves corresponding to raised spiral teeth disposed on the drive head, and as the drive mechanism is engaged and the shaft of the electric motor rotates causing rotation of the drive head, the auger bit rotates in the same direction as the rotation of the drive mechanism, causing the drive mechanism and the auger bit to move vertically in the lower portion, either in the downward direction or upward direction.
13. The beach umbrella of claim 12 wherein the auger bit, when rotated, extends out of the lower portion or, upon reversal of the electric motor, is withdrawn into the lower portion.
14. A beach umbrella comprising:
a canopy;
a lower portion and an upper portion the upper portion and lower portion further having interior walls;
a battery pack;
the lower portion has a compartment located within the lower portion, the compartment being storage for the battery pack; and
the lower portion further comprising a drive mechanism and an auger bit, the drive mechanism comprising an operating switch, an electric motor electrically connected to the battery pack through the operating switch, the electrical motor having a shaft, a drive head mechanically connected to the shaft of the electric motor, the electric motor being electrically reversible through operation of the operating switch, and the auger bit mechanically attached to the drive head, and wherein the electric motor further comprises raised portions that are disposed within vertical grooves formed within the interior wall of the lower portion such that the electric motor, when energized by operation of the operating switch, may move vertically within the lower portion, the drive head is disposed within spiral grooves that are disposed in the lower portion, the spiral grooves corresponding to raised spiral teeth disposed on the drive head, and as the drive mechanism is engaged and the shaft of the electric motor rotates causing rotation of the drive head, the auger bit rotates in the same direction as the rotation of the drive mechanism, causing the drive mechanism and the auger bit to move vertically in the lower portion, either in the downward direction or upward direction, and wherein the auger bit, when rotated, extends out of the lower portion or, upon reversal of the electric motor, is withdrawn into the lower portion.