RFID TAG FOR MEDICATION CONTAINER CLOSURE

• US 20140184390A1
• Filed: 12/27/2013
• Published: 07/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meps Real-Time, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Meps Real-Time, Inc.
• Inventors: Elizondo, Paul M. II
• Granted Patent: US 9,589,226 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/60 using magnetic or electronic identifications, e.g. chips, RFID, electronic tags
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07786 the antenna being of the HF type, such as a dipole

Abstract

A wireless identification system and method used for identifying medical vials having a metallic crimp includes an RFID tag having a first antenna element located at the crimp so as to be capacitively coupled to the crimp to increase the effective surface area of the RFID antenna, and a second antenna element mounted to the side of the vial between the ends of the labeling mounted on the vial so as to not mask any visually readable information of the labeling. Dielectric adhesive is used in one embodiment to couple the antenna element to the crimp. The invention is particularly useful for small vials. A manufacturing method in which the wireless tag is an integral part of the container is disclosed.

Claims

1. A system for identifying a medical container, the container having a size selected to hold a medical item and having an opening at one end, the system comprising:

a metallic closure located at the opening of the container;

a wireless identification tag comprising a first antenna element and a tag circuitry element, the tag circuitry element including a memory and a processor, the tag circuitry element being connected to the antenna element, the tag circuitry element configured to receive an interrogation signal through the antenna element and to transmit a response identification signal to the interrogation signal through the antenna element, wherein the response identification signal is associated with a medical item held by the medical container to identify the held item;

wherein the first antenna element is electrically connected to the metallic closure of the container thereby increasing the effective surface area of the antenna with the metallic closure.

2. The system for identifying a medical container of claim 1 further comprising an electrically resistant seal located between the metallic closure and the item contained by the medical container whereby the seal provides electrical insulation to the medical item held by the medical container from the electrically conductive metal closure.

3. The system for identifying a medical container of claim 1 further comprising a dielectric element located between the first antenna element and the metallic closure with the antenna element contacting the dielectric element on one side of the dielectric element and the metallic closure of the medical container contacting the dielectric element on an opposite side of the dielectric element from the antenna element, whereby the antenna element is capacitively coupled to the metallic container closure.

4. The system for identifying a medical container of claim 3 wherein the dielectric element comprises adhesive located on either side of the dielectric element whereby the first antenna element is held by adhesive to one side of the dielectric element and the metallic closure is held by adhesive to an opposite side of the dielectric element from the antenna element, whereby the antenna element is capacitively coupled to the metallic container closure.

5. The system for identifying a medical container of claim 1 further comprising a second antenna element also connected to the circuitry element through which an interrogation signal is received and an identification response signal is transmitted, wherein the second antenna element is located along a side of the medical container at a position that does not mask any visually-readable labeling of the container.

6. The system for identifying a medical container of claim 5 wherein the medical container includes a label located around the container, the label having visually readable information concerning the contents of the container and also having two ends separated from each other by a space;

wherein the second antenna element is located in the space between the two label ends.

7. The system for identifying a medical container of claim 1 wherein the first antenna element is directly electrically connected to the metallic closure;

the system further comprising an electrically resistant seal located between the metallic closure and the item contained by the medical container whereby the seal provides electrical insulation to the medical item held by the medical container from the electrically conductive metal closure.

8. The system for identifying a medical container of claim 7 further comprising a second antenna element also connected to the circuitry element through which an interrogation signal is received and an identification response signal is transmitted, wherein the second antenna element is located along a side of the medical container at a position that does not mask any visually-readable labeling of the container.

9. The system for identifying a medical container of claim 8 wherein the medical container includes a label located around the container, the label having visually readable information concerning the contents of the container and also having two ends separated from each other by a space;

wherein the second antenna element is located in the space between the two label ends.

10. The system for identifying a medical container of claim 9 wherein the wireless identification tag comprises an RFID tag.

11. The system for identifying a medical container of claim 10 wherein the identification signal comprises a serial number of the RFID tag that has been associated with the identification of the contents of the medical container.

12. An identification system for a medical item container, the container having a size selected to hold a medical item and having an opening at one end on which is mounted a metallic closure, the container further having a side on which a label having visually readable information concerning the held item is mounted, the label having ends which, when the label is mounted to the container, are separated from each other by a space, the identification system comprising:

an RFID tag comprising a first antenna element, a second antenna element, and a tag circuitry element, the tag circuitry element including a memory and a processor, the tag circuitry element being connected to the first and second antenna elements, the tag circuitry element configured to receive an interrogation signal through the first and second antenna elements and to transmit a response identification signal to the interrogation signal through the first and second antenna elements, wherein the response identification signal is associated with a medical item held by the medical container to identify the held item;

wherein the first antenna element is electrically connected to the metallic closure of the container thereby increasing the effective surface area of the antenna with the metallic closure; and

wherein the second antenna element is mounted to the container and extending along the side of the container between the ends of the labeling mounted on the container, such that the second antenna element does not mask any visually readable information of the labeling.

13. The identification system of claim 12 further comprising a dielectric element located between the first antenna element and the metallic closure with the antenna element contacting the dielectric element on one side of the dielectric element and the metallic closure of the medical container contacting the dielectric element on an opposite side of the dielectric element from the antenna element, whereby the antenna element is capacitively coupled to the metallic container closure.

14. The identification system of claim 13 wherein the dielectric element comprises adhesive located on either side of the dielectric element whereby the first antenna element is held by adhesive to one side of the dielectric element and the metallic closure is held by adhesive to an opposite side of the dielectric element from the antenna element, whereby the antenna element is capacitively coupled to the metallic container closure.

15. The identification system of claim 12 wherein the first antenna element is directly electrically connected to the metallic closure;

the system further comprising an electrically resistant seal located between the metallic closure and the item contained by the medical container whereby the seal provides electrical insulation to the medical item held by the medical container from the electrically conductive metal closure.

16. The identification system of claim 12 wherein the identification signal comprises a serial number of the RFID tag that has been associated with the identification of the contents of the medical container.

17. A method for identifying a medical container, the container having a size selected to hold a medical item and having an opening at one end at which is mounted a metallic closure, the method comprising:

mounting a wireless identification tag comprising a first antenna element and a tag circuitry element to the container, the tag circuitry element including a memory and a processor, the tag circuitry element being connected to the antenna element, the tag circuitry element configured to receive an interrogation signal through the antenna element and to transmit a response identification signal to the interrogation signal through the antenna element, wherein the response identification signal is associated with a medical item held by the medical container to identify the held item; and

mounting the first antenna element of the identification tag into electrical connection with the metallic closure of the container thereby increasing the effective surface area of the antenna with the metallic closure.

18. The method for identifying a medical container of claim 17 further comprising sealing the opening of the medical container with an electrically resistant seal located between the metallic closure and the item contained by the medical container whereby the seal provides electrical insulation to the medical item held by the medical container from the electrically conductive metal closure.

19. The method for identifying a medical container of claim 17 further comprising locating a dielectric element between the first antenna element and the metallic closure with the antenna element contacting the dielectric element on one side of the dielectric element and the metallic closure of the medical container contacting the dielectric element on an opposite side of the dielectric element from the antenna element, whereby the antenna element is capacitively coupled to the metallic container closure.

20. The method for identifying a medical container of claim 19 wherein the step of locating a dielectric element comprises attaching the dielectric element to the first antenna element and the metallic closure with dielectric adhesive whereby the antenna element is capacitively coupled to the metallic container closure.

21. The method for identifying a medical container of claim 17 further comprising locating a second antenna element that is also connected to the circuitry element through which an interrogation signal is received and an identification response signal is transmitted, along a side of the medical container at a position that does not mask any visually-readable labeling of the container.

22. The method for identifying a medical container of claim 17 wherein the step of locating a second antenna element comprises locating the second antenna element in a space between two ends of a label mounted around the container, wherein the label has visually readable information concerning the contents of the container that is not masked by the location of the second antenna element in the space between the two ends.

23. A method for manufacturing a medical container to have an integral wireless identification system, the container having a size selected to hold a medical item and having an opening at one end, the method comprising:

filling the container with a desired medical item;

stopping the opening of the medical container with a sealing material;

crimping a metallic closure over the opening of the container and the sealing material to hold the sealing material in place over the opening to seal the opening, the metallic closure having an opening of a size selected to be large enough through which to insert a cannula through that opening and the stopper to access the item contained within the medical container;

mounting a wireless identification tag comprising a first antenna element and a tag circuitry element to the container, the tag circuitry element including a memory and a processor, the tag circuitry element being connected to the antenna element, the tag circuitry element configured to receive an interrogation signal through the antenna element and to transmit a response identification signal to the interrogation signal through the antenna element, wherein the response identification signal is associated with a medical item held by the medical container to identify the held item, such that the first antenna element of the identification tag is mounted in electrical connection with the metallic closure of the container thereby increasing the effective surface area of the antenna with the metallic closure; and

applying a label to the container over the wireless identification tag such that any visually readable information on the label can be read.