Tracking system and method using injection probe

A tracking system for tracking medical articles stored in an interior volume of a container wherein each of the medical articles has a wireless identification device associated therewith that has individual identification data for that respective medical article, and each wireless identification device having an operating frequency at which it is activated and operates to respond with its individual identification data, the tracking system comprising:

• electromagnetic (“EM”) shielding located about the interior volume of the container configured to shield the interior volume of the container from the passage of EM energy both into and out of the interior volume;
• a signal source that produces activating energy;
• an EM energy-conducting injection probe located within the EM shielding and connected with the signal source to inject activating energy from the signal source into the interior volume;
• wherein the injection probe comprises a main conductive element configured to create an electric field in the interior volume of the container when electrical energy is conducted by the main conductive element, and wherein the main conductive element is spaced apart from a ground plane by a selected distance wherein currents flowing in the main conductive element are inductively coupled with the ground plane thereby simultaneously forming a magnetic field that is orthogonal to the electric field also in the interior volume of the container;
• and
• a processor connected with the signal source, the processor programmed to control the signal source to deliver activation energy to the injection probe for injecting into the interior volume of the container to activate identification devices in the interior volume.

A method for tracking medical articles stored in the interior volume of a container, the interior volume of the container having a size selected to receive a plurality of medical articles each of which has a wireless identification device associated therewith that has individual identification data for that respective medical article, and each wireless identification device having an operating frequency at which it is activated and operates to respond with its individual identification data, the method comprising:

• shielding the interior volume of the container from the passage of electromagnetic (“EM”) energy both into and out of the interior volume;
• injecting activating energy from a signal source into the interior volume with an injection probe located within the EM shielding;
• and
• wherein the step of injecting activating energy further comprises injecting the activating energy into the interior volume with an injection probe that comprises a main conductive element that provides an electric field in the interior volume of the container when electrical energy is conducted by the main conductive element, and wherein the main conductive element is spaced apart from a ground plane by a selected distance wherein currents flowing in the main conductive element are inductively coupled with the ground plane thereby simultaneously forming a magnetic field that is orthogonal to the electric field also in the interior volume of the container.