Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Method and apparatus to account for transponder tagged objects used during clinical procedures employing a shielded receptacle with antenna
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Application No.: US16316979Application Date: 2017-07-07
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Publication No.: US10770178B2Publication Date: 2020-09-08
- Inventor: Bryan Hansen , Jeffrey Jensen
- Applicant: Covidien LP
- Applicant Address: US MA Mansfield
- Assignee: Covidien LP
- Current Assignee: Covidien LP
- Current Assignee Address: US MA Mansfield
- International Application: PCT/US2017/041034 WO 20170707
- International Announcement: WO2018/013413 WO 20180118
- Main IPC: G06Q30/00
- IPC: G06Q30/00 ; G06Q90/00 ; G16H40/20 ; A61B90/98 ; A61F15/00 ; G06K19/07 ; A61B46/00 ; G06K7/10 ; A61B50/33 ; A61B42/10 ; A61B50/13 ; G08B21/02 ; G08B21/24 ; H01Q1/22 ; A61B17/00 ; A61B50/30 ; A61B50/00

Abstract:
Medical procedure related objects (e.g., instruments, supplies) tagged with transponders (e.g., RFID transponders, dumb transponders) are accounted for in a medical or clinical environment via an accounting system using a number of antennas and interrogators/readers. A first set of antennas and RFID interrogator(s) interrogate portions of the environment for RFID tagged objects, for example proximate a start and an end of a procedure. Shielded packaging and/or shielded receptacles shield tagged objects, preventing interrogation except for those objects in unshielded portions of the environment. A shielded receptacle may include an antenna to interrogate the contents thereof in a relatively noise-free environment. A data store may maintain information including a current status or count of each instrument or supply, for instance as checked in or checked out. A handheld antenna and/or second set of antennas interrogates a body of a patient for retained instruments or supplies tagged with dumb transponders.
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Information query