59results about How to "Faster data acquisition" patented technology

A control system for an RFID-based system for assembling and verifying outbound surgical equipment corresponding to a particular surgery. A user enters a identification number of a surgery. The control system queries a database of surgery information and outputs a list of required surgical equipment, such as surgical instrument sets. An operator uses the list to pick instrument sets for loading into a shipping tote. Each set is tagged with an RFID inventory tag that stores identification information for that set such as a set name and ID number. The shipping tote is passed through an RFID reader and identification data read from the tags is compared against the identification data for sets required for that surgery. A status indicator is activated to alert a user as to whether the surgery is complete that is, all expected sets are present, or that exception handling is required. The control system updates a database such as an ERP system to reflect that the surgery including the required sets has shipped—and the sets are inventoried out to the intended recipient.

A radio frequency identification (RFID) workstation reader for RFID-enabled surgical instruments and surgical instrument trays and a method of using a RFID workstation reader to read RFID-enabled surgical instruments and surgical instrument trays is disclosed. The method, apparatus, and system enable individual instruments or a surgical instrument tray containing several surgical instruments to be quickly and efficiently inventoried and tracked. An instrument or instrument tray is placed on the workstation reader. An RF field 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 specific identification 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.

A surgical instrument tray shipping tote identification system is provided. During transit to or from a medical facility, processing center, distribution center or other location, multiple surgical instruments trays are placed in an instrument tray shipping tote. Each instrument tray includes at least one RFID transponder tag storing identification information about that tray. The shipping tote has a bar coded shipping label affixed to one surface generated at the point of origin. When the tote arrives at the distribution center, it is placed on a conveyor system that includes a reading station having an RFID transceiver and a bar code reader. Information read from the RFID transponder tags and the bar code label is transmitted by a controller to an external database to check for any off-nominal status indicators. Once this check is performed, an indication is sent back to the controller and an appropriate indicator on the identification system is activated.

A method and apparatus for automatically identifying the contents of an instrument tray by use of a radio-frequency tag (RFID) is disclosed. The method, apparatus, and system enable the instrument tray to receive an interrogation signal from a reader and to respond to the interrogation signal with a code comprised of its identifying information as well as its contents of radio frequency tagged instruments. Both the instrument tray and / or the reader may be coupled by a proximity electromagnetic field, an inductive coupling, or may be units of a wireless LAN system such as a wireless fidelity local area network. The interrogation signal interrogates the tray to ascertain its contents, and the tray in turn transmits a signal to the reader to inform the reader of its contents. The method, apparatus, and system can track, inspect, and verify inbound and outbound surgical instrument trays and kits, to assess, for example, the surgical instruments' and trays' duty life cycle usage.

A radio frequency identification (RFID) workstation reader for RFID-enabled surgical instruments and surgical instrument 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 tray containing several surgical instruments to be quickly and efficiently inventoried and tracked. An instrument or instrument tray is placed on the workstation reader. An RF field 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 specific identification 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.

An apparatus and method for interrogating and automatically identifying a radio-frequency tagged surgical instrument tray and its contents of RFID-tagged surgical instruments are disclosed. The surgical instrument tray and its contents come into contact with an RF signal transmitted by the RFID reader, and as a result, the RFID tags affixed on the instrument tray and the surgical instruments respond by transmitting back to the RFID reader data pertaining to the history of the surgical instruments. A data terminal, which is connected to the RFID reader, may contain data pertaining to the radio frequency tagged surgical instruments during packaging, and during the return of the surgical instrument trays to the packager, identifies the surgical instruments.

Systems and methods for processing surgical instrument tray shipping totes. A control system is adapted to control a bar code reader module, an RFID module, a database module and an interface module. The control system provides functionality adapted to process incoming and outgoing surgical instrument shipping totes containing one or more RFID-enabled surgical instrument trays. A database, ERP system or other system in communication with the control system alerts the operator of the status of an incoming tote and / or trays contained in the tote to increase processing efficiency and speed.

A scanning evanescent microwave microscope (SEMM) that uses near-field evanescent electromagnetic waves to probe sample properties is disclosed. The SEMM is capable of high resolution imaging and quantitative measurements of the electrical properties of the sample. The SEMM has the ability to map dielectric constant, loss tangent, conductivity, electrical impedance, and other electrical parameters of materials. Such properties are then used to provide distance control over a wide range, from to microns to nanometers, over dielectric and conductive samples for a scanned evanescent microwave probe, which enable quantitative non-contact and submicron spatial resolution topographic and electrical impedance profiling of dielectric, nonlinear dielectric and conductive materials. The invention also allows quantitative estimation of microwave impedance using signals obtained by the scanned evanescent microwave probe and quasistatic approximation modeling. The SEMM can be used to measure electrical properties of both dielectric and electrically conducting materials.

In a method and apparatus for generating a magnetic resonance image, raw magnetic resonance data are acquired from a subject for each of a number of PROPELLER strips using, for each strip, multiple magnetic resonance reception coils in a partial acquisition technique (PAT), and the raw data in said PROPELLER strips are entered into k-space according to the PROPELLER scan. A PAT reconstruction of the data in k-space is conducted dependent on the respective sensitivities of the reception coils, and a PROPELLER reconstruction of the data in k-space is conducted after the PAT reconstruction for generating a magnetic resonance image of the subject.

A new generation polarimetry apparatus and methodology is disclosed, which involve passing polarized light through a sample including a chiral analyte, where the analyte is under the influence of a periodically varying magnetic field. The apparatus also utilizes optical heterodyne detection and lock-in detection at higher order harmonics of the magnetic field modulation frequency to improve sensitivity and detection limits of optical properties of chiral analytes.

Characterization of an optical system is quickly and easily obtained in a single acquisition step by obtaining image data within a volume of image space. A reticle and image plane are positioned obliquely with respect to each other such that a reticle having a plurality of feature sets thereon, including periodic patterns or gratings, is imaged in a volume of space, including the depth of focus. Metrology tools are used to analyze the detected or recorded image in the volume of space through the depth of focus in a single step or exposure to determine the imaging characteristics of an optical system. Focus, field curvature, astigmatism, spherical, coma, and / or focal plane deviations can be determined. The present invention is particularly applicable to semiconductor manufacturing and photolithographic techniques used therein, and is able to quickly characterize an optical system in a single exposure with dramatically increased data quality and continuous coverage of the full parameter space. In embodiments, the test reticle is holographically generated by interfering two or more beams of optical radiation. The resulting interference pattern is recorded on a reticle and used for testing the optical system. The geometry of the holographic interference pattern is tightly controlled by the properties of the interfering beams and is therefore more accurate than conventional reticle writing techniques.