Reconciliation mechanism using RFID and sensors

• US 7,616,117 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2005
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Propack Data GmbH (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Streeb, Martin, Winzinger, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham; Lam P
• Application Number:
  US11/184,233
• Publication Number:
  US 20070018819A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,575 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/572.4, 340/572.7, 340/539.1, 340/539.12, 340/539.13, 340/825.49, 235/375, 235/385
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer

Abstract

An RFID ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit) that can receive and store digital data from at least one of sensors and A/D converter devices. The ASIC can include one or more of the following components as desired for a given application: a passive power/communications coupling component with antenna that couples power into the ASIC when employed as a passive device, and for facilitating communications with the device when powered; a control module that control or facilitates the control of all onboard functions; a memory for storing data (e.g., timestamp and event information) and/or programs; a clock for the generation of clock signals and in support of onboard timing requirement; and, a digital I/O interface that facilitates interfacing to digital inputs such as from sensors and/or A/D converters.

Claims

1. An RFID system that processes medical packages, comprising:

an RFID tag attached to a medical package having contents that include at least one of a drug and a medical-related object; and

a reconciliation component that reconciles contents of the medical package before and after distribution by examining digital data relating to at least one of the drug and the medical-related object stored in the RFID tag, the RFID tag comprising;

a controller that receives and processes the digital data received from a sensor;

a non-volatile memory that stores the digital data and instructions; and

a communications component that facilitates power to the tag and communications from an RFID reader/writer.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the digital data is associated with usage information of the drug and the medical-related object.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a location component that interfaces to the system such that location information is stored in the memory related to a location that the medical package has been.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the digital data includes environmental data that is received directly from at least one of the sensor and the converter while at the location.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a location component that interfaces to the system such that location information is written to the memory.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the location component provides the location information through Global Positioning System (GPS) technology.

14. An article of commerce having attached thereto the system of claim 1.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a timing component that facilitates storing timestamp data and event data in the memory.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the communications component includes an antenna that facilitates writing data and the instructions into the memory, and reading the data out of the memory via RF signals.

17. The system of claim 1, is fabricated into an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

5. A method of processing a medical product, the method comprising:

receiving the medical product for processing at a distributor;

attaching an RFID tag to the medical product;

writing to the RFID tag medical data associated with the medical product;

transporting the medical product via multiple locations to a destination;

storing on the RFID tag location information associated with at least a first location of the multiple locations;

uploading sensor data to the RFID tag directly from a sensor during transportation of the medical product;

reading data from the RFID tag at the destination to determine viability of the medical product;

writing usage data to the RFID tag related to an aspect of the medical product that was changed while at the destination;

shipping the medical product and attached RFID tag back to the distributor;

reading the usage data from the RFID tag; and

reconciling the usage data with a database of preparation medical data associated with the medical product when it was shipped.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising an act of in-processing the medical product at the distributor after use at the destination such that an act of reading the usage data from the RFID tag during in-processing alleviates exposure to a human of a medical risk associated with the changed aspect of the medical product.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising an act of writing to the RFID tag and reading from the RFID tag timestamp data and event data associated with an event that occurred during transportation and use of the medical product.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising an act of selecting between a plurality of protocols for a protocol that facilitates the act of uploading.

9. An RFID system that facilitates processing of a medical product, comprising:

means for attaching an RFID tag to the medical product;

means for writing to the RFID tag medical data associated with the medical product when at a distributor;

means for selecting between a plurality of protocols on the RFID tag for a protocol that facilitates uploading sensor data to the RFID tag directly from a digital interface during transportation of the medical product while in transit from a first location to a second location;

means for reading data from the RFID tag at the second location to determine viability of the medical product;

means for writing usage data to the RFID tag related to an aspect of the medical product that was changed while at the second location; and

means for reconciling the usage data with a database of preparation medical data associated with the medical product when it was shipped.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising means for in-processing the medical product at the first location after use at the second location such that reading the usage data from the RFID tag during in-processing alleviates exposure to a human of a medical risk associated with the changed aspect of the medical product.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising means for writing to the RFID tag and reading from the RFID tag timestamp data and event data associated with an event that occurred during transportation and use of the medical product.