Method and apparatus for automatic tracking and identification of device components
AssigneeVarian Medical Systems UK Limited
InventorChristopher Heath
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Embodiments of an apparatus and method to track and identify radioactive sources are described. In one embodiment, a device includes first housing for a radioactive source having a first electronic tag, a second housing for the radioactive source having a second electronic tag, and a guide tube that couples the first housing with the second housing. The guide tube includes a third electronic tag. The first, second, and third electronic tags communicate with each other to confirm automatically a delivery path for the radioactive source. In one embodiment, the electronic tags may be a radio frequency identification device (RFID).
Claims34
A method, comprising:
- coupling a first end of a guide tube to a first housing for a radioactive source and a second end of the guide tube to a second housing for the radioactive source;
- and
- identifying the coupling of the guide tube to one or both of the first housing and the second housing with one or more electronic tags disposed on at least one of the guide tube, first housing, and second housing to communicate identification information.
A method, comprising:
- determining a radioactive source delivery path comprising an afterloader, a guide tube, and an applicator;
- and
- coupling the afterloader having a first electronic identification tag to a first end of the guide tube and a second end of the guide tube to the applicator having a second electronic identification tag, the guide tube having a third electronic identification tag, the first, second, and third identification tags being operable to communicate with each other to confirm the determined radioactive source delivery path.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a first housing for a radioactive source;
- a second housing for the radioactive source;
- and
- a guide tube to couple the first housing with the second housing, wherein the first housing, the second housing and the guide tube use one or more electronic tags to communicate with each other to confirm automatically a delivery path for the radioactive source.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a first radio frequency identification device tag disposed on a radioactive source afterloader;
- a second radio frequency identification device tag disposed on a radioactive source applicator;
- a third radio frequency identification device tag disposed on a guide tube to couple the radioactive source afterloader with the radioactive source applicator;
- and
- a radio frequency identification device tag controller disposed on the radioactive source afterloader to coordinate the communication between the first, second, and third radio frequency identification device tags.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.