Medication tracking system and method using hybrid isolated magnetic dipole probe

• US 9,792,476 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2015
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meps Real-Time, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Meps Real-Time, Inc.
• Inventors: Elizondo, II, Paul M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nam V
• Application Number:
  US14/752,837
• Publication Number:
  US 20160379022A1
• Time in Patent Office: 843 Days
• Field of Search: 3405721-5729, 340 101- 105, 3405681, 343747, 343702, 343895, 361113, 361 56, 361 91, 361111, 235383, 235385
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/60 using magnetic or electronic identifications, e.g. chips, RFID, electronic tags
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0084 for multiple medicaments
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10158 methods and means used by the interrogation device for reliably powering the wireless record carriers using an electromagnetic interrogation field
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/009 the reader being an RFID reader
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/14 by lifting or attempted removal of hand-portable articles
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/24 with receiving set
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/00 Electrically-short antennas having dimensions not more than twice the operating wavelength and consisting of conductive active radiating elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/28 Conical, cylindrical, cage, strip, gauze, or like elements having an extended radiating surface; Elements comprising two conical surfaces having collinear axes and adjacent apices and fed by two-conductor transmission lines waveguide horns or mouths H01Q13/00; slot antennas H01Q13/00

Abstract

A system and method for tracking medical articles located in a container includes a hybrid isolated magnetic dipole (“IMD”) probe that provides an activating EM energy RF field having a magnetic near field at least as great as the electric near field, both of which cover the entire interior of the container. The probe comprises a main element having capacitive coupling across at least one slot and spacing above a ground plane to thereby form an isolated electric field and an equally strong or stronger magnetic field that fills the interior of the container to activate RFID tags therein. A dual system is provided for larger containers. A dynamic impedance tuning system controls the probe impedance for increased efficiency in transferring power to the interior of the container. Beam steering is provided with the IMD probe.

Claims

1. A tracking system for tracking medical articles stored in an interior volume of a container, the interior volume of the container having a size selected to receive a plurality of medical articles each of which has a wireless identification device associated therewith that has individual identification data, and each wireless identification device configured to respond with identification data upon receiving activation energy, the interior volume of the container having a resonant frequency that is different from a frequency of operation of the wireless identification device, the system comprising:

electromagnetic (“

EM”

) shielding located about the interior volume of the container configured to shield the interior volume of the container from the passage of EM energy both into and out of the interior volume, whereby the interior volume is isolated to keep activating radio frequency (“

RF”

) energy within the container so that radio frequency identification (“

RFID”

) tags located outside the container are not activated and read;

an EM energy conducting injection probe located within the EM shielding, the injection probe located and configured to inject activation RF energy into the interior volume having an energy pattern directed to fill the interior volume of the container with an EM field, wherein the injection probe comprises a main conductive element having capacitive coupling across at least one slot of the main conductive element thereby forming an isolated electric field that fills the interior volume of the container, and wherein the main conductive element is spaced apart from a ground plane by a selected distance thereby forming a robust magnetic field that is orthogonal to the electric field and that also fills the interior volume of the container;

a parasitic element located at a selected position in relation to the main conductive element of the injection probe, the parasitic element being configured to control the energy pattern of the main conductive element in the interior volume of the container;

a receiving antenna located within the EM shielding at a position to receive identification data response signals from activated wireless identification devices located within the interior volume, the receiving antenna providing the received identification data response signals;

a signal source producing activation radio frequency (“

RF”

) energy having a frequency that is different from the resonant frequency of the interior volume of the container, and coupled to the injection probe; and

a processor connected with the signal source, the processor being programmed to control the signal source to deliver the activation RF energy to the injection probe for injecting into the interior volume of the container to activate identification devices in the interior volume, the processor further being programmed to stop the signal source from delivering RF energy to the injection probe to allow the receiving antenna to receive identification signals from activated identification devices in the interior volume, and further being programmed to receive the identification data response signals from the receiving antenna.

2. The medical article tracking system of claim 1 wherein the injection probe comprises a hybrid isolated magnetic dipole device in which the electric field and the magnetic field are circularly polarized.

3. The medical article tracking system of claim 1 wherein the injection probe includes a controllable active tuning element connected with the parasitic element to alter the effect of the parasitic element on the main conductive element to controllably change the energy pattern.

4. The medical article tracking system of claim 1 further comprising a dual injection probe circuit in which a plurality of injection probes are co-located and positioned in relation to each other to provide multiple energy patterns into the interior volume.

5. The medical article tracking system of claim 1 further comprising an active tuned impedance matching circuit connected with the injection probe that controls impedance of the injection probe to more closely match the impedance of the interior volume of the container whereby increased efficiency in electromagnetic energy transfer into the interior volume of the container results.

6. A method for tracking medical articles stored in the interior volume of a container, the interior volume of the container having a size selected to receive a plurality of medical articles each of which has a wireless identification device associated therewith that has individual identification data, and each wireless identification device configured to respond with identification data upon receiving activation energy, the interior volume of the container having a resonant frequency that is different from a frequency of operation of the wireless identification device, the method comprising:

shielding the interior volume of the container from the passage of electromagnetic (“

EM”

) energy both into and out of the interior volume, whereby the interior volume is isolated to keep activating radio frequency (“

RF”

) energy within the container so that radio frequency identification (“

RFID”

) tags located outside the container are not activated and read;

injecting activating RF energy into the interior volume in an energy pattern with an injection probe located within the EM shielding to fill the interior volume with an EM field, wherein the injection probe that comprises a main conductive element having capacitive coupling across at least one slot of the main conductive element thereby forming an isolated electric field that fills the interior volume of the container, and wherein the main conductive element is spaced apart from a ground plane by a selected distance thereby forming a robust magnetic field that is orthogonal to the electric field and that also fills the interior volume of the container;

controlling the energy pattern in the interior volume with a parasitic element located at a selected position in relation to the main conductive element of the injection probe;

delivering activating RF energy to the injection probe from a signal source, the activating RF energy having a frequency that is different from the resonant frequency of the interior volume of the container;

receiving within the EM shielding identification data response signals from activated wireless identification devices located within the interior volume, the receiving antenna providing the received identification data response signals; and

controlling the signal source to deliver the activating energy to the injection probe for injection into the interior volume, and controlling the signal source to stop delivering activating energy to the injection probe so that the injection probe may then receive responsive identification signals from activated identification devices, and receiving the identification data response signals from the receiving antenna.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of injecting activating RF energy into the interior volume in the energy pattern with the injection probe comprises using an injection probe that comprises a hybrid isolated magnetic dipole device in which the electric field and the magnetic field are circularly polarized.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of injecting activating RF energy into the interior volume in the energy pattern with the injection probe comprises using an injection probe that comprises a controllable active tuning element connected with the parasitic element to alter the effect of the parasitic element on the main conductive element to controllably change the energy pattern.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of injecting activating RF energy into the interior volume in an energy pattern with an injection probe comprises using an injection probe that comprises a dual injection probe circuit in which a plurality of injection probes are co-located and positioned in relation to each other to provide multiple radiation patterns into the interior volume.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of injecting activating RF energy into the interior volume in the energy pattern with the injection probe comprises using an injection probe having an active tuned impedance matching circuit that is configured to control impedance of the injection probe to more closely match the impedance of the interior volume of the container whereby increased efficiency in electromagnetic energy transfer into the interior volume of the container results.