Sleeve-type RFID tag

• US 7,213,767 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2005
• Issued: 05/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Warsaw Orthopedic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: SDGI Holdings Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Nycz, Jeffrey H., Varner, Robert, Tethrake, Steven M., Elliott, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Stcyr; Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): FRANKLIN, JAMARA ALZAIDA
• Application Number:
  US11/063,844
• Publication Number:
  US 20060186210A1
• Time in Patent Office: 804 Days
• Field of Search: 235/487, 235/492, 3405721-5729
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/90 Identification means for patients or instruments, e.g. tags
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/98 using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/005 the record carrier comprising an arrangement to facilitate insertion into a holding device, e.g. an arrangement that makes the record carrier fit into an etui or a casing ticket holders A45C11/18
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/04 characterised by the shape
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/077 Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2434 Tag housing and attachment details

Abstract

An RFID tag that is integrated into a substantially cylindrically-shaped structure that can be attached to an object to be identified through radio frequency identification techniques by sliding the substantially cylindrically-shaped structure over at least a portion of the object.

Claims

1. An RFID tag comprising:

a resilient tubular sleeve portion; and

an RFID transponder circuit comprising an antenna, a microprocessor and a memory structure secured to a surface of the resilient tubular sleeve portion, wherein the resilient tubular sleeve portion is open on at least one end and adapted to be slid around a portion of an object to be tagged and to conform to the shape of the portion of the object through resiliency, and the antenna circumscribes an opening defined by the resilient tubular sleeve portion at least one time.

2. The tag according to claim 1, wherein the resilient tubular sleeve portion comprises a plurality of layers.

3. The tag according to claim 2, wherein one of the plurality of layers is a low loss dielectric layer.

4. The tag according to claim 3, wherein the RFID transponder circuit is in contact with the low loss dielectric layer.

5. The tag according to claim 2, further comprising an outermost encapsulating layer.

6. The tag according to claim 5, wherein the outermost encapsulating layer is made of a flexible, moisture impervious material.

7. The tag according to claim 1, wherein the memory is operable to store identification information for the object that the tag is associated with.

8. The tag according to claim 1, wherein the antenna is a wire loop-type antenna.

9. The tag according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the RFID transponder circuit is encapsulated in a protective housing.

10. The tag according to claim 9, wherein the protective housing comprises a material selected from the group consisting of plastic, metal, metal alloy and other pressure resistant material.

11. The tag according to claim 9, wherein the protective housing is a mini small outline package (MSOP) for integrated circuits.

12. The tag according to claim 1, further comprising one or more visual indicia on an outward facing surface of the resilient tubular sleeve portion.

13. The tag according to claim 12, wherein the one or more indicia is selected from the group consisting of a brand owner name, a product name, a category name, a color code, a graphic image, a product identification number, a bar code and combinations thereof.

14. A reusable RFID tag comprising:

a resilient tubular sleeve structure; and

an RFID circuit comprising an antenna, a microprocessor and a digital memory structure, secured to the resilient tubular sleeve structure, wherein the resilient tubular sleeve structure is open on at least one end and adapted to be slid around an object to be tagged and to conform to the shape and of the object through resiliency, and the antenna circumscribes an opening defined by the resilient tubular sleeve portion at least one time.

15. The tag according to claim 14, wherein the resilient tubular sleeve structure comprises a plurality of layers.

16. The tag according to claim 15, wherein one of the plurality of layers is a low loss dielectric layer.

17. The tag according to claim 16, wherein the RFID circuit is in contact with the low loss dielectric layer.

18. The tag according to claim 14, wherein the digital memory is operable to store identification information for the object that the tag is associated with.

19. The tag according to claim 14, wherein the antenna is a wire loop-type antenna.

20. The tag according to claim 14, wherein at least the microprocessor and the memory are encapsulated in a protective housing.

21. The tag according to claim 20, wherein the protective housing comprises a material selected from the group consisting of plastic, metal, metal alloy and other pressure resistant material.

22. The tag according to claim 20, wherein the protective housing is an MSOP for integrated circuits.

23. The tag according to claim 14, further comprising a resilient outermost encapsulating layer surrounding the resilient tubular sleeve structure.

24. The tag according to claim 23, wherein the outermost encapsulating layer is made of a flexible, moisture impervious material.

25. The tag according to claim 14, further comprising one or more visual indicia on an outward facing surface of the substantially cylindrically-shaped structure.

26. The tag according to claim 25, wherein the one or more indicia is selected from the group consisting of a brand owner name, a product name, a category name, a color code, a graphic image, a product identification number, a bar code and combinations thereof.

27. A method of manufacturing a reusable RFID identification tag comprising:

forming a predetermined length of resilient tubular material to create a resilient tubular sleeve structure having an opening at each end;

attaching an RFID transponder circuit to a surface of the resilient tubular sleeve structure, the RFID circuit comprising an antenna, a processor and a digital memory structure, wherein attaching comprises encasing the antenna between layers of the resilient tubular sleeve structure so as to circumscribe the resilient tubular sleeve structure at least one time.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein attaching the RFID transponder circuit comprises encapsulating at least the processor and the digital memory in a protective housing and encasing the housing between layers of the resilient tubular sleeve structure.