Abstract: A modular system of plastic walls having embedded and coextensive electrically conductive components configured to electrically connect with each other when the walls are mated. The walls have joining edges that form joint seams with other walls when joined together to create an enclosure. When enough walls are used to surround a storage space, a Faraday cage is created. The walls additionally have portions of tortuous paths at each joining edge that mate with a complementary portion of a tortuous path of another wall when the walls are joined together. A torturous path seal is thereby created at each joint seam. The plastic walls can be configured in a multiplicity of combinations to create various enclosures necessary for RFID-enabled storage and tracking of medical articles. Containers, enclosures, cabinets, and drawers of differing heights and sizes can be made and they may be stacked or otherwise assembled.

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.

Abstract: A system and method for monitoring the inventory of a medical storage container such as a tray that has a required inventory of medical articles. An enclosure is used to isolate, scan, and take an inventory of the tray or other container of medical articles. The tray and each of the medical articles in the tray have RFID tags. The enclosure having a size differing from the size needed for a resonant frequency at the RFID frequency of operation of the tags. A probe is used to create a robust electromagnetic field standing wave of constructive interference in the enclosure and a program compares the scanned present inventory of the tray to the required inventory database and indicates any differences. Expired and recalled articles and substitutes for recalled articles are identified.

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.

Abstract: A retrofit self-contained RFID-enabling module for automatically identifying and tracking medical articles having RF tags located in a container having electrically-conductive walls includes a base having a probe mounted to the base for injecting activating rf energy into the container in which the module has been mounted. The base also includes a reader board that controls the probe between an injection mode, in which it injects RFID tag activation energy into the container to activate the tags on the medical articles, and a non-injecting mode during which the identification signals of the activated RFID tags on the medical articles can be read. The module is self-contained in that only power is needed to operate. The size of the module, including its components, is selected in relation to the size of the container so that the module may be “dropped into” the container.

Abstract: A wireless identification system and method used for identifying medical vials having a metallic crimp includes an RFID tag having a first antenna element located at the crimp so as to be capacitively coupled to the crimp to increase the effective surface area of the RFID antenna, and a second antenna element mounted to the side of the vial between the ends of the labeling mounted on the vial so as to not mask any visually readable information of the labeling. Dielectric adhesive is used in one embodiment to couple the antenna element to the crimp. The invention is particularly useful for small vials. A manufacturing method in which the wireless tag is an integral part of the container is disclosed.

Abstract: A modular system of plastic walls having embedded and coextensive electrically conductive components configured to electrically connect with each other when the walls are mated. The walls have joining edges that form joint seams with other walls when joined together to create an enclosure. When enough walls are used to surround a storage space, a Faraday cage is created. The walls additionally have portions of tortuous paths at each joining edge that mate with a complementary portion of a tortuous path of another wall when the walls are joined together. A torturous path seal is thereby created at each joint seam. The plastic walls can be configured in a multiplicity of combinations to create various enclosures necessary for RFID-enabled storage and tracking of medical articles. Containers, enclosures, cabinets, and drawers of differing heights and sizes can be made and they may be stacked or otherwise assembled.

Abstract: A system and method for monitoring the inventory of a medical storage container such as a tray that has a required inventory of medical articles. An enclosure is used to isolate, scan, and take an inventory of the tray or other container of medical articles. The tray and each of the medical articles in the tray has an RFID tag. The enclosure having a size smaller than the size needed for a resonant frequency at the RFID frequency of operation of the tags. A probe is used to create a robust electromagnetic field standing wave of constructive interference in the enclosure and a program compares the scanned present inventory of the tray to the required inventory database and indicates any differences. Expired and recalled articles and substitutes for recalled articles are identified.

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.

Abstract: A modular system of plastic walls having embedded and coextensive electrically conductive components configured to electrically connect with each other when the walls are mated. The walls have joining edges that form joint seams with other walls when joined together to create an enclosure. When enough walls are used to surround a storage space, a Faraday cage is created. The walls additionally have portions of tortuous paths at each joining edge that mate with a complementary portion of a tortuous path of another wall when the walls are joined together. A torturous path seal is thereby created at each joint seam. The plastic walls can be configured in a multiplicity of combinations to create various enclosures necessary for RFID-enabled storage and tracking of medical articles. Containers, enclosures, cabinets, and drawers of differing heights and sizes can be made and they may be stacked or otherwise assembled.

Abstract: A wireless identification system and method used for identifying medical vials having a metallic crimp includes an RFID tag having a first antenna element located at the crimp so as to be capacitively coupled to the crimp to increase the effective surface area of the RFID antenna, and a second antenna element mounted to the side of the vial between the ends of the labeling mounted on the vial so as to not mask any visually readable information of the labeling. Dielectric adhesive is used in one embodiment to couple the antenna element to the crimp. The invention is particularly useful for small vials. A manufacturing method in which the wireless tag is an integral part of the container is disclosed.

Abstract: An automatic data collection system tracks articles by providing a robust electromagnetic (EM) field within an enclosure in which the articles are stored. Respective data carriers, such as RFID tags, attached to each article respond to the electromagnetic field by transmitting data identified with each article. An RFID scanner receives the transmitted RFID tag identification data and a processor compares the received identification data to a data base. The data base associates the identification data with data concerning the medical article to which the RFID tag is affixed, such as the name of the medicine, the size of the dose, and the expiration date. The processor is also programmed to keep track of the number of articles of a particular type remaining in the enclosure, to note receipt of an article in the enclosure, and to note removal of the article.

Abstract: An inventory tracking system to determine the location of an article labeled with an RFID tag in a pocket of a container having a plurality of pockets. The system includes an antenna device that transmits a radiation beam into a pocket to read data from tagged articles. The antenna device includes a first antenna that transmits a beam at the pocket and a second antenna co-located with the first antenna. The second antenna transmits a beam with a predetermined null area oriented to overlap the first antenna's beam at the pocket. In another embodiment, the antenna device includes an antenna that transmits a beam through an antenna gateway device having openings switchable to operable or inoperable states aligned with each pocket. An RFID reader receives the read data from responding tagged articles, and a processor uses the read data to determine whether an article is in a particular pocket.

Abstract: A system and method for monitoring the inventory of a medical storage container such as a tray that has a required inventory of medical articles. An enclosure is used to isolate, scan, and take an inventory of the tray or other container of medical articles. The tray and each of the medical articles in the tray has an RFID tag. The enclosure having a size smaller than the size needed for a resonant frequency at the RFID frequency of operation of the tags. A probe is used to create a robust electromagnetic field standing wave of constructive interference in the enclosure and a program compares the scanned present inventory of the tray to the required inventory database and indicates any differences. Expired and recalled articles and substitutes for recalled articles are identified.

Abstract: An automatic data collection system tracks medical articles by providing a robust electromagnetic (EM) field within an enclosure in which the articles are stored. Respective data carriers, such as RFID tags, attached to each article respond to the electromagnetic field by transmitting data identified with each article. An RFID scanner receives the transmitted RFID tag identification data and a processor compares the received identification data to a data base. The data base associates the identification data with data concerning the medical article to which the RFID tag is affixed, such as the name of the medicine, the size of the dose, and the expiration date. The processor is also programmed to keep track of the number of articles of a particular type remaining in the enclosure, to note receipt of an article in the enclosure, and to note removal of the article.

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.

Abstract: A system and method comprises a plurality of RF antennas having beams directed to a storage space in which medical items having RFID tags are stored. Each antenna is controlled to inject energy at a different frequency in a frequency-hopping set of frequencies to activate the tags. The return signal strength is monitored and for each tag that responds, the antenna location, frequency of the injected energy, identification response, and signal strength are stored as identification data. If a tag fails to respond in new scans, the antenna at which the tag last responded receives all the frequency-hopping frequencies in an attempt to locate the tag. If new tags are found, they are compared to a list of expected new medical items.

Abstract: A system and method for monitoring the inventory of a medical storage container that has a required inventory of medical articles. An enclosure is used to isolate, scan, and take an inventory of a tray or other container of medical articles each of which has an RFID tag. The enclosure having a size smaller than the size needed for a resonant frequency at the RFID frequency of operation of the tags. An injection device is used to create a robust electromagnetic field standing wave of constructive interference in the enclosure and a program compares the scanned present inventory of the tray to the required inventory database and indicates any differences. Expired and recalled articles are identified.

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.

Abstract: An inventory tracking system to determine the location of an article labeled with an RFID tag in a pocket of a container having a plurality of pockets. The system includes an antenna device that transmits a radiation beam into a pocket to read data from tagged articles. The antenna device includes a first antenna that transmits a beam at the pocket and a second antenna co-located with the first antenna. The second antenna transmits a beam with a predetermined null area oriented to overlap the first antenna's beam at the pocket. In another embodiment, the antenna device includes an antenna that transmits a beam through an antenna gateway device having openings switchable to operable or inoperable states aligned with each pocket. An RFID reader receives the read data from responding tagged articles, and a processor uses the read data to determine whether an article is in a particular pocket.