Method and apparatus to detect transponder tagged objects and to communicate with medical telemetry devices, for example during medical procedures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9792408-B2
Application number	US-60696309-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 27, 2009
Priority date	Jul 2, 2009
Publication date	Oct 17, 2017
Grant date	Oct 17, 2017

Abstract

The presence or absence of objects tagged with transponders may be determined in an environment in which medical procedures are performed via an interrogation and detection system which includes a controller and a plurality of antennas positioned along a patient support structure. The antennas may be positioned along an operating table, bed, mattress or pad, sheet, or may be positioned on a drape, or shade. Respective antennas may successively be activated to transmit interrogation signals. Multiple antennas may be monitored for responses from transponders to the interrogation signals. For example, all antennas other than the antenna that transmitted the most recent interrogation signal may be monitored. Antennas may be responsive to force, a signal indicative of such force being produced. A wireless physiological condition monitor may detect patient physiological conditions and wirelessly transmit signals indicative of such.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for use in a medical facility, the system comprising:
a number of antennas; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the number of antennas, the controller:
selectively causes at least one of the number of antennas to emit wideband interrogation signals;
provides wireless communications of at least one of data or instructions with at least one piece of dedicated medical diagnostic, therapeutic or monitoring telemetry equipment via the at least one of the number of antennas used to emit the wideband interrogation signals, the at least one piece of dedicated medical diagnostic, therapeutic or monitoring telemetry equipment having at least one respective active radio; and
detects a response signal, if any, from a number of transponders physically detects coupled to a number of objects used in medical procedures via the at least one of the number of antennas used to emit the wideband interrogation signals and used to provide wireless communications, the response signal responsive to the emitted wideband interrogation signals.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein at least a plurality of the number of antennas are carried by a patient support structure that carries a patient during a medical procedure.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein at least one of the number of antennas is a handheld antenna that inductively cooperates with the plurality of antennas carried by the patient support structure.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein at least one of the number of antennas is a handheld antenna, and one of the handheld antenna or the plurality of antennas carried by the patient support structure transmits wideband interrogation signals and the other one of the handheld antenna or the plurality of antennas carried by the patient support structure receives response signals, if any, to the wideband interrogation signals.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein the number of antennas includes at least three loop antennas spaced along a longitudinal axis of the patient support structure, and the patient support structure is one of an operating table, a bed, a mattress, or a sheet.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein at least a plurality of the number of antennas are carried by a shade that extends from a light fixture positioned relatively above a patient support structure that carries a patient during a medical procedure.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller receives data signals from the at least one piece of dedicated medical diagnostic, therapeutic or monitoring telemetry equipment via at least one of the number of antennas, the data signals representing physiological characteristics of a patient measured by the at least one piece of dedicated medical diagnostic, therapeutic or monitoring telemetry equipment.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller receives data signals from the at least one piece of dedicated medical diagnostic, therapeutic or monitoring telemetry equipment via at least one of the number of antennas, the data signals representing operational characteristics of the at least one piece of dedicated medical diagnostic, therapeutic or monitoring telemetry equipment.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller transmits control signals to the at least one piece of dedicated medical diagnostic, therapeutic or monitoring telemetry equipment via at least one of the number of antennas, the control signals representing operational instructions to control operation of the at least one piece of dedicated medical diagnostic, therapeutic or monitoring telemetry equipment.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is communicatively coupled to a display and displays information related to at least one of a patient or the at least one piece of dedicated medical diagnostic, therapeutic or monitoring telemetry equipment.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is communicatively coupled to a user input device, receives user input entered via the user input device and transmits control signals based on the received user input to the at least one piece of dedicated medical diagnostic, therapeutic or monitoring telemetry equipment via at least one of the number of antennas, the control signals representing operational instructions to control operation of the at least one piece of dedicated medical diagnostic, therapeutic or monitoring telemetry equipment.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller receives data signals from a first one of the at least one piece of dedicated medical diagnostic, therapeutic or monitoring telemetry equipment transmits the data signals to a second one of the at least one piece of dedicated medical diagnostic, therapeutic or monitoring telemetry equipment.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the first one of the at least one piece of dedicated medical diagnostic, therapeutic or monitoring telemetry equipment is a transducer coupled to a patient and the second one of the at least one piece of dedicated medical diagnostic, therapeutic or monitoring telemetry equipment is a dedicated control system for the transducer.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the first one of the at least one piece of dedicated medical diagnostic, therapeutic or monitoring telemetry equipment is one of an electrocardiogram electrode, a pulse oximetry transducer and the second one of the at least one piece of dedicated medical diagnostic, therapeutic or monitoring telemetry equipment is a dedicated electrocardiogram processing system or a pulse oximetry processing system.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the number of antennas is responsive to a force exerted thereon and the controller receives a signal indicative of the force exerted on the antenna and to produce a notification if the force exceeds at least one of an amplitude threshold or a time duration.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the number of transponders have no memory and the controller provides wireless communications of at least one of data or instructions with the at least one piece of dedicated medical diagnostic, therapeutic or monitoring telemetry equipment via the at least one of the number of antennas by providing wireless communications of at least one of data or instructions with the at least one respective active radio of the at least one piece of dedicated diagnostic, therapeutic or monitoring telemetry equipment via the at least one of the number of antennas, the communications of at least one of data or instructions including data representative of physiological characteristics of a patient measured by the at least one piece of dedicated medical diagnostic, therapeutic or monitoring telemetry equipment.

17. A system for use in a medical facility, the system comprising:
a number of antennas; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the number of antennas, the controller:
selectively causes at least one of the number of antennas to emit wideband interrogation signals;
provides wireless communications of at least one of data or instructions with at least one piece of dedicated medical diagnostic, therapeutic or monitoring telemetry equipment via the at least one of the number of antennas used to emit the wideband interrogation signals, the at least one piece of dedicated medical diagnostic, therapeutic or monitoring telemetry equipment having at least one respective active radio; and
detects a response signal, if any, from a number of transponders physically coupled to a number of objects used in medical procedures via the at least one of the number of antennas used to emit the wideband interrogation signals and used to provid

Assignees

• Blair William A
• Barnes Bruce E
• Poirier David A
• Covidien Lp

Inventors

• Blair William A
• Barnes Bruce E
• Poirier David A

Classifications

• A61B2560/0271

  using a remote monitoring unit · CPC title

• A61B90/98

  using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders · CPC title

• A61B90/90

  Identification means for patients or instruments, e.g. tags · CPC title

• G06F19/3418 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• A61B5/6887

  mounted on external non-worn devices, e.g. non-medical devices · CPC title