US 2019/0290392 A1 · METHOD AND APPARATUS TO ACCOUNT FOR TRANSPONDER TAGGED OBJECTS USED DURING CLINICAL PROCEDURES, EMPLOYING A SHIELDED RECEPTACLE

Abstract

Medical procedure related objects (e.g., instruments, supplies) tagged with transponders (e.g., RFID transponders, dumb transponders) are accounted for in a medical or clinical environment via an accounting system using a number of antennas and interrogators/readers. A first set of antennas and RFID interrogator(s) interrogate portions of the environment for RFID tagged objects, for example proximate a start and an end of a procedure. Shielded packaging and/or shielded receptacles shield tagged objects, preventing interrogation except for those objects in unshielded portions of the environment. A shielded receptacle may include an antenna to interrogate the contents thereof in a relatively noise-free environment. A data store may maintain information including a current status or count of each instrument or supply, for instance as checked in or checked out. A handheld antenna and/or second set of antennas interrogates a body of a patient for retained instruments or supplies tagged with dumb transponders.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A system to track items in a clinical environment, the system comprising:

a number of antennas, the antennas positioned and oriented in the clinical environment to provide coverage of at least a portion of the clinical environment;
at least one interrogator, the at least one interrogator communicatively coupled to the antennas and operable to cause the at least one antenna to emit at least one of radio or microwave frequency energy interrogation signals and to detect response signals from any exposed wireless communications transponders in the clinical environment;
and
at least one shielded receptacle in the clinical environment, the at least one shielded receptacle having an interior and at least one shield that shields the interior of the shielded receptacle and any wireless communications transponders in the interior from at least one of radio or microwave frequency energy emitted by the antennas, at least one the at least one shielded receptacle is in a closed configuration.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus to account for transponder tagged objects used during clinical procedures, employing a shielded receptacle

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus to account for transponder tagged objects used during clinical procedures, employing a shielded receptacle

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18