Automated pass-through surgical instrument tray reader
US8082192B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 13, 2009 |
| Grant date | Dec 20, 2011 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 13, 2029 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06Q10/087
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An apparatus and method for interrogating and automatically identifying a radio-frequency tagged surgical instrument tray and its contents of RFID-tagged surgical instruments are disclosed. The surgical instrument tray and its contents come into contact with an RF signal transmitted by the RFID reader, and as a result, the RFID tags affixed on the instrument tray and the surgical instruments respond by transmitting back to the RFID reader data pertaining to the history of the surgical instruments. A data terminal, which is connected to the RFID reader, may contain data pertaining to the radio frequency tagged surgical instruments during packaging, and during the return of the surgical instrument trays to the packager, identifies the surgical instruments.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.