US007268684B2
`
`(12)
`
`United States Patent
`Tethrake et a].
`
`(10) Patent N0.:
`(45) Date of Patent:
`
`US 7,268,684 B2
`Sep. 11, 2007
`
`(54) WORKSTATION RFID READER FOR
`SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS AND SURGICAL
`INSTRUMENT TRAYS AND METHODS OF
`USING SAME
`
`(75) Inventors: Steven M. Tethrake, North Webster, IN
`(US); Robert Varner, GermantoWn, TN
`(US); Je?rey H. Nycz, Collierville, TN
`(Us)
`
`(73) Assignee: SDGI Holdings, Inc., Wilmington, DE
`(Us)
`
`.
`( * ) Nonce:
`
`.
`.
`.
`.
`Subleet, to any dlsclalmeri the term of thls
`patent is extended or adjusted under 35
`U.S.C. 154(b) by 92 days.
`
`(21) Appl. N0.: 11/006,750
`
`(22) Filed:
`
`Dec_ 8, 2004
`
`5,963,134 A 10/1999 Bowers et a1.
`6,084,512 A *
`7/2000 Elberty et al. ......... .. 340/572.1
`6,158,437 A 12/2000 Vagley
`6,164,738 A 12/2000 Dane et al.
`6,318,636 B1
`11/2001 Reynolds et al.
`6,366,206 B1 *
`4/2002 Ishikawa et al. ....... .. 340/5731
`6,405,863 B1
`6/2002 Dhindsa
`
`(Continued)
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`
`Presentation b Innovision Research and Technolo , PLC at the
`“RFID in Healfhcare” conference in Washington, DCgen Dec. 2 and
`3, 2003'
`
`(Continued)
`_
`_
`_
`Primary ExamlneriVan T. Tr1eu
`(74) Attorney, Agent, or F irmiGoodWin Procter LLP
`
`(65)
`
`Prior Publication Data
`
`(57)
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`US 2006/0119481 A1
`
`Jun. 8, 2006
`
`(51) Int. C].
`(2006.01)
`G08B 13/14
`(52) US. Cl. ............................. .. 340/572.1; 340/572.4;
`340/539. 12
`(58) Field of Classi?cation Search ........... .. 340/5721,
`340/57243 5731, 53912, 53932, 1()_1, 103,
`340/104, 1041, 1042, 1031; 604/362;
`606/1
`See application ?le for complete search history.
`
`(56)
`
`References Cited
`US. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`2/1978 Baldwin et al.
`4,075,632 A
`4,360,801 A 11/1982 Duhame
`4,390,880 A
`6/1983 Henoch
`4,688,026 A
`8/1987 Scribner et al.
`4,739,328 A
`4/1988 Koelle et al.
`5,030,807 A
`7/1991 Landt et al.
`5,621,199 A
`4/1997 Calari et a1.
`5,923,001 A
`7/1999 Morris et al.
`
`A radio frequency identi?cation (RFID) Workstation reader
`for RFID-enabled surgical instruments and surgical instru
`ment trays and a method of using a RFID Workstation reader
`to read RFID-enabled surgical instruments and surgical
`instrument trays. The method, apparatus, and system enable
`individual instruments Or a surgical instrument tmy Contain
`ing several surgical instruments to be quickly and efficiently
`inventoried and tracked. An instrument or instrument tray is
`placed on the Workstation reader. An RF ?eld generated by
`a plurality Of antennae, Causes RFID tags embedded in or
`attached to the instrument or instrument tray to emit a signal
`containing item speci?c identi?cation information stored in
`the tags. The information is received by a control circuit and
`passed to a computer for data analysis. A status LED is
`illuminated on the Workstation reader based on the results of
`the data analysis. The method, apparatus, and system can
`track, inspect, and Verify inbound and outbound surgical
`instrument kits, and help to assess the surgical instruments’
`and trays’ duty life cycle usage.
`
`19 Claims, 4 Drawing Sheets
`
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`US 7,268,684 B2
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`
`8/2004 Forster
`2004/0160233 A1
`9/2004 Eidemiller
`2004/0174244 A1
`9/2004 Volpi et al.
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`11/2004 Deng etal.
`2004/0220602 A1
`11/2004 Persky etal.
`2004/0220860 A1
`2004/0250819 A1 12/2004 Blair et al.
`2004/0267297 A1 12/2004 MalackoWski
`2005/0003757 A1
`1/2005 Anderson
`2005/0012617 A1
`1/2005 DiSilvestro etal.
`
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`_
`7/2002 Mcélllster
`6,415,978 B1
`7/2002 smlth
`6,426,041 B1
`8/2002 Allcot er a1
`6,429,776 B1
`11/2002 Kélly etfll
`6,480,101 B1
`2/2003 Nlshltanl er a1
`6,523,752 B2
`11/2003 Vanna @1111
`6,646,241 B1
`6,669,089 B2 12/2003 Cybulskl er a1
`6,777,623 B2
`8/2004 Ballard
`6,825,766 B2
`11/2004 Hewitt et al.
`6’853’303 B2
`2/2005 Che? et a1‘
`6,861,954 B2
`3/2005 Lev1n
`.
`
`6,866,147 B2
`
`3/2005 BarW1ck
`
`6,967,563 B2* 11/2005 Bormaster ............. .. 340/10.31
`
`6,967,577 B2* 11/2005 Taylor et al. .......... .. 340/572.1
`.
`2002/0032435 A1
`3/2002 Lev1n
`
`5/2002 Armstrong et al.
`2002/0063622 A1
`.
`8/2002 Ahcot et a1‘
`2002/0105424 A1
`2002/0143320 A1 10/2002 Levin
`2002/0188259 A1 12/2002 Hickle et a1‘
`
`9/2003 Andreasson et al.
`2003/0164401 A1
`9/2003 Bauer et 31'
`2003/0174099 A1
`2003/0189094 A1 10/2003 Trabitz
`2003/0196837 A1 10/2003 Ballard
`2004/0008123 A1
`1/2004 Carrender et al.
`
`2004/0022227 A1
`2004/0031626 A1
`2004/0069851 A1
`2004/0100384 A1
`
`2/2004 Lynch et al.
`.
`2/2004 Moms et a1‘
`4/2004 Grunes et al.
`5/2004 Chen et al.
`
`- i
`
`i
`
`i
`
`,,
`
`-
`
`-
`
`,
`
`-
`
`-
`
`-
`
`-
`
`-
`
`- i
`
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`(http://r?djournal.corn/article/vieW/112) RFID Journal, Can RFID
`,
`Cure Healthcare s Ills?, Nov. 12, 2002.
`(http.//usatoday.pr1ntth1s.cl1ckab1l1ty.corn/pt/cpt?act1on*cpt&eX
`p1ree&urllDe8067862&lb<..) Svensson, Peter Conduct1ve 1nk
`-
`,,
`advances electron1cs, USATODAYCOII14<N€W York) pp. 1-3.
`.
`(http://WWW.eetlmes.com/shoWPressRelease.
`.
`.
`i
`.
`.
`“
`]htrnl?art1cleID*57907) EE Tlmes (WWW,eet1mes.com) T-InkTM
`Unique Conductive Ink Technology to Be Featured” Feb. 14 2003
`L2
`’
`’
`ZTttp://americanprinter.com/microsites/magazinearticle.
`i -
`-
`-
`-
`-
`-
`asp?mode*pr1nt&magaZ1neart1cle1d...) Amerlcan Pr1nter (WWW.
`american rinter corn) “Trackin RFID Pro ress” Jan 1 2004
`L3
`P
`'
`g
`g
`'
`’
`’pp'
`(http://plTc-online.com/microsites/neWsarticle.asp?mode?5rint
`-
`- i
`&neWsaIt1cle1d*2708965&re) Byrd-Thompson, Nsenga, (PFFC)
`.
`.
`.
`“
`Paper F1lm & Fo1l Converter (WWW.plTc-onl1ne.com), RFID and
`Conductive Inks: What You Need To KnoW” pp. 1-3.
`
`* cited by examiner
`
`Page 2 of 13
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`Health Care Logistics, Inc.
`Exhibit 1007
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Sep. 11,2007
`
`Sheet 1 of4
`
`US 7,268,684 B2
`
`_g11r_
`Fi e1
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`
`120g .‘
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`120
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`120 W
`
`Page 3 of 13
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`Health Care Logistics, Inc.
`Exhibit 1007
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`

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`U.S. Patent
`
`Sep. 11,2007
`
`Sheet 2 0f 4
`
`US 7,268,684 B2
`
`Fi
`
`220
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`21
`
`205
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`
`225/
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`Page 4 of 13
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`U.S. Patent
`
`Sep. 11,2007
`
`Sheet 3 0f 4
`
`US 7,268,684 B2
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`242
`
`243
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`244
`
`READING
`
`PASS
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`FAIL
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`Figgge 7
`
`[210
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`CIRCUIT
`
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`20C V I/ f
`CONTROL
`LED
`CIRCUIT
`PANEL
`
`206 K
`
`TO/FROM
`COMPUTER!
`PRINTER
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`Page 5 of 13
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`Health Care Logistics, Inc.
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`U.S. Patent
`
`Sep. 11,2007
`
`Sheet 4 0f 4
`
`US 7,268,684 B2
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`—glI——F1 e 8
`
`$200
`
`5205
`PLACE INSTRUMENT/TRAY IN RF WORKSPACE -/
`
`5210
`‘l
`ACTIVATE RF READER -/'
`
`S215
`J‘
`RECEIVE SIGNAL EMITTED BY ENERGIZED _/
`TRANSPONDER TAG(S)
`8220
`T
`SEND DATA TO COMPUTER F/
`
`S225
`RECEIVE STATUS SIGNAL -/
`
`STATU S
`PASS?
`
`ACTIVATE
`PASS LED
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`$240
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`ACTIVATE
`FAIL LED
`F S245
`PRINT /
`REPORT
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`Page 6 of 13
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`Exhibit 1007
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`

`US 7,268,684 B2
`
`1
`WORKSTATION RFID READER FOR
`SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS AND SURGICAL
`INSTRUMENT TRAYS AND METHODS OF
`USING SAME
`
`FIELD OF THE INVENTION
`
`The invention generally relates to an apparatus and
`method for implementing radio frequency identi?cation
`techniques, and more particularly to an apparatus and
`method for Wirelessly inventorying surgical instruments and
`surgical instrument trays in order to facilitate tracking and
`inventory management of surgical instruments and surgical
`instrument trays over their useful life cycle.
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND
`DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART
`
`Surgical instrument storage and sterilization systems are
`knoWn. These systems, knoWn as surgical instrument trays
`or surgical instrument kits, typically consist of metal or
`plastic trays that hold a variety of general purpose and/or
`procedure speci?c surgical instruments such as forceps,
`scissors, clamps, retractors, scalpels, etc. These trays are
`brought into the operating room (OR) When preparing for
`surgery, and also are used as a means to organize, transport
`and store surgical instruments in a medical facility.
`Due to advances in medical technology that have
`increased the number of surgical instruments noW in use and
`due to the constant pressure in the health care industry to
`reduce operating costs, it has become necessary to manage
`and track these instruments more quickly and e?iciently.
`One advancement toWards this end has been the creation of
`surgical instrument trays that employ various techniques for
`controlling the arrangement of instruments on the tray so
`that any missing instruments can be identi?ed quickly. Once
`such method is disclosed in US. Pat. No. 6,158,437, Which
`uses a combination of instrument identifying indicia includ
`ing a plurality of graphical indicia that represent an outline
`of the basic shape of each instrument, as Well as a terse
`Written description of the instrument to identify the correct
`placement of speci?c surgical instruments on a tray. Another
`such method is disclosed in US. Pat. No. 6,4265,04l, Which
`utilizes a plurality of recessed sections of applicable shape
`and size distributed on the Work surface of the tray to
`accommodate speci?c instruments. Upon extraction from
`the tray, the instruments are in ready position to be relayed
`to the person performing the operation. US. Pat. Nos.
`6,158,437 and 6,4265,04l are hereby incorporated by ref
`erence in their entireties. Through implementation of the
`teachings of these patents, a person can visually inspect a
`surgical instrument tray and make a determination as to
`Whether any instruments are missing or misplaced.
`Another function provided by surgical trays is to facilitate
`group sterilization. Sterilization is of paramount importance
`in a surgical setting such as a hospital to prevent potentially
`deadly infections to patients undergoing surgery. Prior to
`every surgical procedure, all surgical instruments and trays
`must be sterilized. Also, folloWing each surgical procedure,
`all instruments on a given tray, if nor Wrapped separately,
`Whether soiled or not, must be re-sterilized before subse
`quent usage. In order to increase the speed and e?iciency of
`sterilization, entire surgical trays containing several instru
`ments often are placed in a sterilization chamber at once.
`The sterilization chamber may provide any combination of
`heat, pressure, and/or ?uid or vaporous sterilant to the trays
`and all the instruments contained therein. Sterilization tech
`
`20
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`
`2
`niques are ubiquitously Well knoWn in the art. Thus, a
`detailed discussion of them has been intentionally omitted.
`Over time, and through ordinary usage, as Well as due to
`the sterilization process, surgical instruments suffer Wear
`and tear and eventually reach the end of their life cycle.
`Thus, it has become necessary to periodically inspect and
`maintain records on usage of surgical instruments so that
`they can be replaced as necessary. Also, due to the fact that
`they are constantly moved from the operating room to
`sterilization, to storage, and back to the operating room,
`various instruments on a given tray may become lost.
`Because certain instruments are so specialized that there are
`no functional substitutes, it also has become necessary to
`regularly inspect trays for any missing instruments and to
`readily identify speci?c instruments that are missing. Exist
`ing methods for performing these necessary functions are
`overly reliant on costly human interpretation. Also, in some
`cases, a skilled technician may be required to identify
`missing instruments.
`Several methods currently exist for tracking and provid
`ing information about items that may be useful for tracking
`surgical instruments and trays. For example, in retail and
`manufacturing applications, inventory items typically carry
`printed labels providing information such as serial numbers,
`price, Weight, manufacturing or use dates, and size. Usually,
`these labels are not machine readable, but rather require
`human interpretation. Another method for tracking and
`providing information about items that ameliorates some of
`the short comings of printed labels is bar code labeling. Bar
`code labels are characterized by a pattern of vertically
`oriented machine readable variable Width bars that, When
`illuminated With a bar code scanner, create a re?ection
`pattern that translates into a unique series of numbers. The
`series of numbers must then be correlated to product
`descriptions in a relational database in communication With
`the bar code scanner for purposes of identi?cation, price
`checking, and inventory management.
`Bar code labels have received Widespread use from prod
`uct tracking in the package delivery business, to physical
`inventory tracking and even point-of-sale terminals. In some
`respects, due to their machine readable nature, bar code
`labels represent a signi?cant improvement over printed
`labels. Also, they are relatively cheap and easy to generate
`With a printer. There are some limitations to bar codes,
`hoWever, that limit their application to surgical instruments
`and trays. Bar codes are limited in size by resolution
`limitations of bar code scanners, and the amount of infor
`mation that the symbols can contain is limited by the
`physical space constraints of the label. Therefore, some
`objects may be unable to accommodate bar code labels
`because of their size and physical con?guration. In the ?eld
`of surgical instruments, this may preclude bar code labels
`from some smaller or non-geometrically shaped instru
`ments. In addition, labels only store a number that is
`meaningless until associated With a database.
`Another limitation of bar code readers is that they require
`line of sight in order to read the re?ection pattern from a bar
`code. One problem is that as labels become Worn or dam
`aged, and they can no longer be read With the bar code
`scanner. This is particularly likely in the ?eld of surgical
`instrument trays because of the harsh conditions the labels
`must undergo during sterilization. Also, because a person
`operating the bar code scanner must physically orient either
`the scanner or the product to achieve line of sight on each
`item being scanned, items must be scanned one at a time
`resulting in prolonged scan time. In addition, because bar
`code scanning requires the operator to handle each instru
`
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`US 7,268,684 B2
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`3
`ment in order to scan it, a potential safety problem is created.
`Soiled instruments pose a biohazard because they may have
`come in contact With bodily ?uids, and often have sharp
`edges. After the instruments have been sterilized, they
`should not be touched again until surgery to prevent con
`tamination. Therefore, direct human contact either pre or
`post sterilization may be problematic. Another limitation of
`bar code labels is that they are static. Updating the infor
`mation in these machine-readable symbols typically requires
`printing a neW label to replace the old.
`Data carriers such as memory devices provide an alter
`native method for tracking and providing information about
`items. Memory devices permit linking of large amounts of
`data With an object or item. Memory devices typically
`include a memory and logic in the form of an integrated
`circuit (“IC”) and a mechanism for transmitting data to
`and/or from the product or item attached to the memory
`device. A promising memory device-based product identi
`?cation technology that ameliorates many of the above
`noted de?ciencies of both printed labels and bar coded labels
`is that of radio frequency identi?cation (RFID) technology.
`RFID systems use an RF ?eld generator and a plurality of
`RFID tags attached to goods and products to store and
`retrieve information about the goods and products. RFID
`tags are miniature electronic circuits that store identi?cation
`information about the products they are attached to. An
`RFID tag typically includes a memory for storing data, an
`antenna, an RF transmitter, and/ or an RF receiver to transmit
`data, and logic for controlling the various components of the
`memory device. The basic structure and operation of RFID
`tags can be found in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,075,632,
`4,360,801, 4,390,880, 4,739,328 and 5,030,807, the disclo
`sures of Which are hereby incorporated by reference in their
`entirety.
`RFID tags generally are formed on a substrate and can
`include, for example, analog RF circuits and digital logic
`and memory circuits. The RFID tags also can include a
`number of discrete components, such as capacitors, transis
`tors, and diodes. The RF transmission of data can be
`accomplished With modulated back scatter as Well as modu
`lation of an active RF transmitter. These RFID tags typically
`come in one of tWo types: active or passive. Active tags are
`characterized in that they have their oWn poWer source, such
`as a battery. When they enter an RF ?eld they are turned on
`and then emit a signal containing their stored information.
`Passive tags do not contain a discrete poWer source. Rather,
`they become inductively charged When they enter an RF
`?eld. Once the RF ?eld has activated the passive circuit, they
`emit a signal containing their stored information. Passive
`RFID tags usually include an analog circuit that detects and
`decodes the interrogating RF signal and that provides poWer
`from the RF ?eld to a digital circuit in the tag. The digital
`circuit generally executes all of the data functions of the
`RFID tag, such as retrieving stored data from memory and
`causing the analog circuit to modulate to the RF signal to
`transmit the retrieved data. In addition to retrieving and
`transmitting data previously stored in the memory, both
`passive and active dynamic RFID tags can permit neW or
`additional information to be stored in the RFID tag’s
`memory, or can permit the RFID tag to manipulate data or
`perform some additional functions.
`An advantage of RFID tags over other machine readable
`ID tags such as bar code tags is that they do not require line
`of sight to be read by an RFID reader. Because RF Waves can
`penetrate surfaces impervious to light Waves, the tags can be
`encapsulated into ruggedized containers. Furthermore, a
`group of tags placed Within the in?uence of an RFID reader
`
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`can read in batch mode. Also, in the cases of dynamic RFID
`tags, information stored in the tags can be updated alloWing
`them to serve as transactional records.
`Due in part to a relative increase in cost over equivalent
`bar code-based systems, RFID tags Were originally used
`only on items of suf?ciently high value to justify their use or
`in environments Where bar coding Was not possible such as
`anti theft protection. HoWever, With the price of RFID tags
`noW reaching as loW as 5 cents per tag, and because of
`reductions in size due to an overall trend toWards miniatur
`ization in circuit designs, they are being applied to many
`types of products, both at the consumer level as Well as in
`manufacturing processes. RFID tags provide a robust yet
`cost effective solution to inventory tracking and manage
`ment.
`The description herein of various advantages and disad
`vantages associated With knoWn apparatus, methods, and
`materials is not intended to limit the scope of the invention
`to their exclusion. Indeed, various embodiments of the
`invention may include one or more of the knoWn apparatus,
`methods, and materials Without suffering from their disad
`vantages.
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`Thus, there exists a need to provide an inventory man
`agement system for surgical instruments and surgical trays
`that reduces handling costs and provides accurate and rapid
`tracking of instruments over their lifecycle.
`Embodiments of the present invention mitigate or solve
`the above-identi?ed limitations in knoWn solutions, as Well
`as other unspeci?ed de?ciencies in known solutions. A
`number of advantages associated With various embodiments
`of the present invention are readily evident to those skilled
`in the art, including economy of design and resources,
`transparent operation, cost savings, etc. Various exemplary
`embodiments according to the method and apparatus of the
`present invention alloW for loWer handling costs of surgical
`instruments, increase the accuracy of the veri?cation process
`of data pertaining to each instrument With a reduction of
`human contact, and provide real-time data collection result
`ing in fast data acquisition, Which ultimately speeds up
`inventory updating of such instruments.
`In accordance With one embodiment of the present inven
`tion, an apparatus is provided for Wirelessly inventorying
`surgical instruments, surgical instrument trays and the like,
`by retrieving information from the instrument through RFID
`technology. An RFID system in accordance With embodi
`ments of this invention preferably includes at least three
`components: (i) an antenna; (ii) a transceiver (often the
`antenna and transceiver are combined into one reader); and
`(iii) a transponder (the RF tag) electronically programmed
`With certain unique information. The antenna emits radio
`frequency Waves to activate the transponder (tag) in order to
`read or Write data to it. In turn, the tag transmits data back
`to the antenna, and the data can be used to interface With a
`database to carry out a function such as inventory process
`ing. The apparatus comprises a Workstation reader apparatus
`having a substantially planar Work top surface and one or
`more RF transponders Which project and RF ?eld onto the
`Work top surface for activating RFID tags attached to
`surgical instruments and/ or surgical instrument trays and for
`receiving signals emitted by the activated tags. The appa
`ratus further comprises a processing means for comparing
`information contained in the received signals With stored
`information, and an indicating means for indicating a result
`of the comparison. In various exemplary embodiments, the
`
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`US 7,268,684 B2
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`5
`apparatus also comprises a printer for printing a report
`indicating the results of the comparison.
`Another exemplary embodiment of the invention provides
`a method for identifying and inventorying surgical instru
`ments and surgical instrument trays used in surgical proce
`dures. This method places surgical instrument(s) and/or
`surgical instrument tray(s) on an RFID Workstation reader
`and generates an RF ?eld to activate RFID transponder tags
`attached or integral to the surgical instrument(s) and/or the
`surgical instrument tray. The method also receives signals
`generated by the activated RFID transponder tags With the
`Workstation reader, and sends information contained in the
`received signals to a computer database Where the informa
`tion is compared against stored information. The method
`further receives a signal back from the computer indicative
`of results of the comparison and further, illuminating an
`LED on an LED panel of the Workstation reader indicating
`the results of the comparison to an operator of the Worksta
`tion reader. In a preferred embodiment, a green LED is
`illuminated to indicate a favorable comparison and a red
`LED is illuminated to indicate an unfavorable comparison.
`In various exemplary embodiments, the method may also
`print a report on a printer that speci?es the speci?c results of
`the comparison. In various exemplary embodiments of this
`invention, a sound generation signal may be used as opposed
`to or in addition to an LED signal. For example, if the
`comparison is favorable, a single beep may sound, Whereas
`if the comparison is not favorable, a longer sustained beep,
`or multiple beeps may sound. Alternatively, or in conjunc
`tion With this embodiment, the computer in Which the data
`resides itself may also provide an audio and/or visual
`indication of status.
`In another exemplary embodiment, a computer readable
`storage medium is provided for storing computer readable
`instructions therein for causing a computer processor to
`perform functions related to tracking of surgical instrument
`trays. The computer readable storage medium comprises
`instructions for generating an RF ?eld With one or more RF
`antenna transceivers to activate any RF transponder tags
`Within the RF ?eld, and instructions for receiving a signal
`emitted by each of the RF transponder tags containing
`identi?cation information relating to items that the tags
`correspond to. The computer readable storage medium also
`comprises instructions for comparing said identi?cation
`information to information stored in a database to determine
`if said identi?cation information matches said stored infor
`mation. The computer readable storage medium further
`comprises instructions for generating a visual indication of
`Whether said identi?cation information matches said stored
`information.
`Other aspects and advantages of the invention Will
`become apparent from the folloWing detailed description,
`taken in conjunction With the accompanying draWings,
`illustrating by Way of example the principles of the inven
`tion.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`Purposes and advantages of the present invention Will be
`apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from the
`folloWing detailed description in conjunction With the
`appended draWings in Which like reference characters are
`used to indicate like elements, and in Which:
`FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an RF transponder
`enabled surgical instrument tray containing a plurality of RF
`transponder enabled surgical instruments in accordance With
`an embodiment of the invention;
`
`20
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`25
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`30
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`35
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`40
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`45
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`50
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`55
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`60
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`65
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`6
`FIG. 2 is a pro?le vieW of the RF transponder enabled
`surgical instrument tray of FIG. 1 in according to an
`embodiment of the invention;
`FIG. 3 is a cutaWay diagram of an exemplary surgical
`instrument shoWn in FIG. 1 according to an embodiment of
`the invention;
`FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a Workstation RFID
`reader for surgical instruments and surgical instrument trays
`according to one embodiment of this invention;
`FIG. 5 is a overhead vieW of the Workstation RFID reader
`for surgical instruments and surgical instrument trays of
`FIG. 4 according to one embodiment of this invention;
`FIG. 6 is a more detailed vieW of an exemplary LED panel
`of a Workstation RFID reader for surgical instruments and
`surgical instrument trays according to an embodiment of this
`invention;
`FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating interconnection of
`various electrical components of a Workstation RFID reader
`for surgical instruments and surgical instrument trays
`including their interconnection according to an embodiment
`of this invention; and
`FIG. 8 is a How chart detailing the steps of a method for
`performing tracking and inventory management of surgical
`instrument and surgical instrument trays using an RFID
`Workstation reader in accordance With one embodiment of
`this invention.
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE
`DISCLOSURE
`
`The following description is intended to convey a thor
`ough understanding of the invention by providing speci?c
`embodiments and details involving automating and adding
`value to medical and surgical instruments, and instrument
`kits. It is understood, hoWever, that the invention is not
`limited to these speci?c embodiments and details, Which are
`exemplary only. It further is understood that one possessing
`ordinary skill in the art, in light of knoWn systems and
`methods, Would appreciate the use of the invention for its
`intended purposes and bene?ts in any number of alternative
`embodiments, depending upon speci?c design and other
`needs.
`In various exemplary embodiments, the inventive appa
`ratus comprises an RFID Workstation reader apparatus hav
`ing a substantially planar Work surface of su?icient dimen
`sions to accommodate at least one surgical instrument tray.
`In various exemplary embodiments, the Workstation reader
`apparatus of the present invention is mounted on one more
`legs that elevate it to a height that is su?iciently tall to be
`comfortably accessed by a person standing or sitting. Alter
`natively, in various other exemplary embodiments, the
`Workstation reader apparatus of the present invention may
`be retro?tted to an existing table or other elevated surface.
`In various exemplary embodiments, the Workstation reader
`apparatus contains an RF transceiver that projects an RF
`?eld on the substantially planar Work surface through one or
`more RF antennae and that can receive data signals from one
`or more RFID tags Within the RF ?eld. In a preferred
`embodiment, the Workstation reader apparatus includes a
`plurality of RF antennae mounted in different orientations,
`and operable to project a multi-dimensional RF ?eld on the
`substantially planar Work surface and to receive information
`signals from RFID transponder tags attached or integral to a
`surgical instrument tray and/or one or more surgical instru
`ments Within the RF ?eld generated by the Workstation
`reader.
`
`Page 9 of 13
`
`Health Care Logistics, Inc.
`Exhibit 1007
`
`

`

`US 7,268,684 B2
`
`7
`In various exemplary embodiments, the Workstation
`reader apparatus also contains a data link to a computer
`database con?gured to store information read from the RFID
`tags and to perform data analysis on read data, including
`matching read data against stored data. In various exemplary
`embodiments, the information read from the RFID tags may
`contain information indicative of the manufacturer, part
`number, serial number and manufacturing data, usage and
`maintenance, and the like or each instrument and instrument
`tray. In various exemplary embodiments, the Workstation
`reader apparatus of the present invention also includes a
`visual indicator, indicating a state of a surgical instrument
`and/or a surgical instrument tray read by the Workstation
`reader in accordance With at least one predetermined con
`dition. In various exemplary embodiments, the visual indi
`cator includes an LED panel mounted on a surface of the
`Workstation reader and is characterized by a red and green
`light emitting diode (LED). In various exemplary embodi
`ments, a printer also is attached to the Workstation reader
`operable to print a report indicative of the state of a surgical
`instrument and/or surgical instrument tray.
`In accordance With another embodiment of the present
`invention, a method is provided for Wirelessly inventorying
`surgical instruments and surgical instrument trays, by
`retrieving information from the instrument using RFID
`transponder tags and an RFID Workstation reader. In various
`exemplary embodiments, the method includes placing a
`surgical instrument or surgical instrument tray on the Work
`surface of an RFID Workstation reader apparatus. In various
`exemplary embodiments, the method generates an RF ?eld
`With one or more RF transceivers to activate or cause to be
`activated an RFID tag contained in or attached to at least one
`surgical instrument, surgical instrument tray or the like. In
`various exemplary embodiments, the method also receives a
`signal from one or more RFID tags containing information
`about the item that the tag corresponds to, and sends this
`information to a computer database. In various exemplary
`embodiments, the information about the item that the tag
`corresponds to includes information indicative of the manu
`facturer, part number, serial number and manufacturing data,
`usage and maintenance history of each instrument, instru
`ment tray and the like. In various exemplary embodiments,
`the method may also Write neW information to the RFID tags
`With the transceiver.
`In various exemplary embodiments, the method of the
`present invention receives a signal at the RFID Workstation
`reader from the computer indicative of a state of the surgical
`instrument and/or surgical instrument tray being read in
`accordance With at least one predetermined condition, and
`activates a visual indicator indicative of that state. In various
`exemplary embodiments, activating a visual indicator is
`accomplished by activating one of a red and a green LED
`mounted on the Workstation reader. In various exemplary
`embodiments, the method also includes printing a report
`based on the state of the surgical instrument tray or surgical
`instrument(s) When the red LED is activated to describe the
`condition of the surgical instrument tray or surgical instru
`ment(s) that