Radio frequency identification monitoring of stents

• US 7,757,543 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2006
• Issued: 07/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Advanced Cardiovascular Systems Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: Advanced Cardiovascular Systems Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Inventors: Castro, Daniel, Gale, David C., Huang, Bin, Freeman, Abigail
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams; Hezron
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHABMAN, MARK A
• Application Number:
  US11/486,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20080021307A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,468 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 73/25.01
• 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: A61F 2/06 Blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/82 Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents stent-grafts for tubular structures of the body other than blood vessels A61F2/04; stent-grafts for blood vessels A61F2/07; instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts A61F2/95; for closing wounds, or holding wounds closed A61B17/04 - A61B17/115; dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0085 Identification means; Administration of patients
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/081 Gamma radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/082 X-rays
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/085 Infrared radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/087 Particle radiation, e.g. electron-beam, alpha or beta radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/10 Ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/14 Means for controlling sterilisation processes, data processing, presentation and storage means, e.g. sensors, controllers, programs
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 25/72 Investigating presence of flaws

Abstract

A method and system of monitoring environmental exposure of stents using radiofrequency identification is disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring a stent during sterilization comprising:

exposing a stent to radiation, the exposure causing the temperature of the stent to increase;

obtaining temperature readings from a sensor positioned adjacent to the stent during exposure and/or after exposure;

transmitting the readings from an RFID tag to a transceiver, wherein a maximum temperature tolerance for the stent is stored on the RFID tag; and

comparing the temperature readings to the maximum temperature tolerance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the radiation is selected from the group consisting of e-beam, gamma ray, ultraviolet, infra-red, ion beam, x-ray, and laser.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising cooling the stent to a temperature below ambient temperature.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising obtaining temperature readings from a sensor positioned adjacent to the stent after cooling and prior to exposure to radiation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein if the maximum temperature tolerance is exceeded, transmitting a signal that the maximum temperature tolerance has been exceeded and that the stent is defective.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the signal is stored on the RFID tag.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the signal is transmitted to the transceiver.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein if the maximum temperature tolerance is exceeded, store a flag on the RFID indicating that the maximum temperature has been exceeded and that the stent is defective.