Smart instrument tray RFID reader

• US 20060043179A1
• Filed: 08/27/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Warsaw Orthopedic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Warsaw Orthopedic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Nycz, Jeffrey H., Tethrake, Steven M., Pelo, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 7,118,029 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/385
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/33 Trays
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/98 using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

A method and apparatus for automatically identifying the contents of an instrument tray by use of a radio-frequency tag (RFID) is disclosed. The method, apparatus, and system enable the instrument tray to receive an interrogation signal from a reader and to respond to the interrogation signal with a code comprised of its identifying information as well as its contents of radio frequency tagged instruments. Both the instrument tray and/or the reader may be coupled by a proximity electromagnetic field, an inductive coupling, or may be units of a wireless LAN system such as a wireless fidelity local area network. The interrogation signal interrogates the tray to ascertain its contents, and the tray in turn transmits a signal to the reader to inform the reader of its contents. The method, apparatus, and system can track, inspect, and verify inbound and outbound surgical instrument trays and kits, to assess, for example, the surgical instruments'"'"' and trays'"'"' duty life cycle usage.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining information concerning the contents of an instrument tray, comprising:

tagging one or more instruments positioned in or on an instrument tray with a radio frequency identification tag;

positioning one or more antennas on the instrument tray;

positioning a transceiver device on the instrument tray;

presenting the instrument tray into a wireless radio frequency field of a reader device;

receiving data from the radio frequency tagged instruments;

transmitting an RF signal containing the data of the radio frequency tagged instruments by the transceiver;

comparing the radio frequency tagged instrument data to a database that resides in the reader device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more antennas are positioned on the inside of the instrument tray and are activated by an RF field transmitted by the reader device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more antennas are positioned on the inside of the instrument tray and emit an RF signal that activates the RF tags on each instrument in the tray.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the RF signal emitted from an instrument is picked up by the internal antennas and routed to the wireless transceiver on the tray.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the RF signal is emitted from the instruments is directly transmitted via a wireless protocol to a transceiver of the reader device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the reader device is one or more components selected from the group consisting of a desk computer, a hand-held computer, a personal digital assistant, and combinations thereof.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein tagging the one or more instruments comprises tagging the instruments with an RFID tag containing information selected from one or more of the group consisting of a part number, name, manufacturer, age, and the number of times the instrument has been sent to a client.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the radio frequency signals comprises transmitting the radio frequency signals through proximity electromagnetic coupling.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the radio frequency signals comprises transmitting the radio frequency signals through inductive coupling.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the radio frequency signals comprises transmitting the radio frequency signals based upon propagating electromagnetic waves.

11. A method for obtaining information concerning the contents of an instrument tray, comprising:

tagging one or more instruments positioned in or on one or more instrument trays with a radio frequency identification tag;

positioning one or more antennas on the instrument tray;

positioning a transceiver device on the instrument tray;

providing a data output module on the instrument tray for displaying a signal;

receiving data from the radio frequency identification tagged instruments; and

comparing the radio frequency tagged instrument data to a database to obtain information about the contents of the instrument tray.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the data output module comprises light emitting diodes.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein a green light emitting diode is activated when the radio frequency tagged instrument data is consistent with the information in the database.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein a red light emitting diode is activated when the radio frequency tagged instrument data differs from the information in the database.

15. A method for obtaining information concerning the contents of an instrument tray, comprising:

tagging one or more instruments positioned in or on an instrument tray with a radio frequency identification tag;

enabling the instrument tray for a wireless fidelity local area network;

positioning one or more antennas on the instrument tray;

positioning a transceiver device on the instrument tray;

presenting the instrument tray into a wireless radio frequency field of one or more wireless fidelity local area network enabled reader devices;

receiving data from the radio frequency tagged instruments;

transmitting an RF signal containing the data of the radio frequency tagged instruments by the transceiver device on the tray to the one or more wireless fidelity local area network enabled reader devices; and

comparing the radio frequency tagged instrument data to a database to obtain information about the contents of an instrument tray.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more wireless fidelity local area network enabled reader devices is selected from one or more of the group consisting of a desk-top computer, a lap-top computer, a personal digital assistant, and a sub-notebook.

17. An apparatus for obtaining information concerning the contents of an instrument tray, comprising:

at least one radio frequency identification tag for identifying instruments;

one or more antennas positioned on an instrument tray;

a reader device that wirelessly receives and transmits a radio frequency field that the instrument tray is presented to;

a transceiver device positioned on the instrument tray for receiving and transmitting radio frequency signals to and from the reader device; and

a data decoder for comparing data from a radio frequency tagged instrument to a database to obtain information about the contents of the instrument tray.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one radio frequency identification tag comprises information selected from one or more of the group consisting of a part number, name, manufacturer, age, and the number of times the instrument has been sent to a client.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the transceiver device positioned on the instrument tray transmits radio frequency signals.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the one or more antennas positioned on the instrument tray receives the transceiver transmitted radio frequency signals.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein radio frequency signals emitted from the instrument tray is transmitted via a wireless protocol to a transceiver in the form of a hand-held or field station reader.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the transceiver device transmits the radio frequency signals via proximity electromagnetic coupling.

23. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the transceiver device transmits the radio frequency signals via inductive coupling.

24. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the transceiver device transmits the radio frequency signals based upon propagating electromagnetic waves.

25. An apparatus for obtaining information concerning the contents of an instrument tray, comprising:

at least one radio frequency identification tag for identifying instruments;

one or more antennas positioned on an instrument tray;

a reader device that wirelessly receives and transmits a radio frequency field that the instrument tray is presented to;

a data output module positioned on the instrument tray for displaying a signal;

a transceiver device positioned on the instrument tray for receiving and transmitting radio frequency signals to and from the reader device; and

a data decoder for comparing the radio frequency tagged instrument data to a database to obtain information about the contents of the instrument tray.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the data output module comprises light emitting diodes.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein a green light emitting diode is activated when the radio frequency tagged instrument data is consistent with the information in the database.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein a red light emitting diode is activated when the radio frequency tagged instrument data differs from the information in the database.

29. An apparatus for identifying the contents of an instrument tray, comprising:

at least one radio frequency identification tag for identifying instruments;

an instrument tray enabled for a wireless fidelity local area network;

one or more antennas positioned on the instrument tray;

one or more wireless fidelity local area network enabled reader devices that wirelessly receive and transmit a radio frequency field that the instrument tray is presented to;

a transceiver device positioned on the instrument tray for receiving and transmitting radio frequency signals to and from the reader device; and

a data decoder for comparing data from a radio frequency tagged instrument to a database for obtaining information about the contents of the instrument tray.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the one or more wireless fidelity local area network enabled reader devices is selected from one or more of the group consisting of a desk-top computer, a lap-top computer, a personal digital assistant, and a sub-notebook.