GB2536425A - Surgical instrument carrier and set - Google Patents

Surgical instrument carrier and set Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2536425A
GB2536425A GB1504260.9A GB201504260A GB2536425A GB 2536425 A GB2536425 A GB 2536425A GB 201504260 A GB201504260 A GB 201504260A GB 2536425 A GB2536425 A GB 2536425A
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United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
signal
surgical instrument
relay element
carrier
instrument carrier
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Withdrawn
Application number
GB1504260.9A
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GB201504260D0 (en
Inventor
Stanley Johnson Martin
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SpA Track Medical Ltd
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SpA Track Medical Ltd
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by SpA Track Medical Ltd filed Critical SpA Track Medical Ltd
Priority to GB1504260.9A priority Critical patent/GB2536425A/en
Publication of GB201504260D0 publication Critical patent/GB201504260D0/en
Publication of GB2536425A publication Critical patent/GB2536425A/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B50/00—Containers, covers, furniture or holders specially adapted for surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments, e.g. sterile covers
    • A61B50/30—Containers specially adapted for packaging, protecting, dispensing, collecting or disposing of surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments
    • A61B50/33—Trays
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B90/00—Instruments, implements or accessories specially adapted for surgery or diagnosis and not covered by any of the groups A61B1/00 - A61B50/00, e.g. for luxation treatment or for protecting wound edges
    • A61B90/90—Identification means for patients or instruments, e.g. tags
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B90/00—Instruments, implements or accessories specially adapted for surgery or diagnosis and not covered by any of the groups A61B1/00 - A61B50/00, e.g. for luxation treatment or for protecting wound edges
    • A61B90/90—Identification means for patients or instruments, e.g. tags
    • A61B90/98—Identification means for patients or instruments, e.g. tags using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B50/00—Containers, covers, furniture or holders specially adapted for surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments, e.g. sterile covers

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  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Surgery (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Heart & Thoracic Surgery (AREA)
  • Molecular Biology (AREA)
  • Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Biomedical Technology (AREA)
  • Nuclear Medicine, Radiotherapy & Molecular Imaging (AREA)
  • Medical Informatics (AREA)
  • Public Health (AREA)
  • Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Pathology (AREA)
  • Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Electromagnetism (AREA)
  • Apparatus For Disinfection Or Sterilisation (AREA)

Abstract

A surgical instrument carrier 110 comprises a carrier body adapted to receive a plurality of surgical instruments 102 each comprising a respective radio frequency identification (RFID) tag. The carrier has a radio frequency (RF) signal relay element 14 arranged to receive an RF signal and arranged to retransmit the RF signal. The signal relay element may be an antenna and may be place in the base 32, walls 34 or lid of the carrier.

Description

SURGICAL INSTRUMENT CARRIER AND SET
The invention relates to a surgical instrument carrier and to a surgical instrument set comprising the surgical instrument carrier.
A surgeon typically requires a number of specific sets of surgical instruments in order to perform an operation. Before the operation can be started a check of each instrument set must be made to confirm that all the necessary surgical instruments are present. This process is typically repeated once the operation has been carried out, both before and after the patient is closed up. Each of these checks is typically carried out by two members of the surgical team.
Reusable surgical instruments are required to be decontaminated and sterilised before they can be used again. Surgical instrument sets are typically provided within trays, and during the decontamination and sterilisation process the surgical instruments in each set typically remain together. The instruments in each set are checked off against an instrument list at least twice during the decontamination and sterilisation process; once on the dirty side of the process, before the process is started and once on the clean side of the process, after the process has been completed. Historically the decontamination and sterilisation process has been carried out by the central sterile services departments, CSSD, of the hospitals in which the instruments are used but economic pressures are driving some hospitals to outsource their CSSD functions to offsite, third party providers. Hospitals are increasingly being required to track each surgical instrument over a period of years in order to manage contamination risk, especially CreutzfeldtJakob disease, CJD. The correct identification of each surgical instrument, and its originating hospital, during the decontamination and sterilisation process is therefore becoming increasingly important.
Rather than relying on visual identification by highly trained staff of each of hundreds of different types of surgical instrument, various labelling systems are available which are directly applied to each surgical instrument. These include etched bar codes, stick-on labels and RFID tags. The bar codes and labels suffer from deterioration due to the harsh conditions to which they are exposed during the decontamination and sterilisation process, and include edges which can provide locations for prions, such as CJD prions, to attach themselves to.
RFID tags may offer a solution to these problems but current RFID tag readers for surgical instruments can only read the RFID tags on a few surgical instruments at a time and require the instruments to be separated from their set and removed from their tray during reading. For example, EP2218421 describes an identification antenna for RFID tags attached to surgical instruments which are placed on the antenna.
A first aspect of the invention provides a surgical instrument carrier comprising a carrier body and a radio frequency, RF, signal relay element. The carrier body is adapted to receive a plurality of surgical instruments. Each surgical instrument comprises a respective radio frequency identification, RFID, tag. The RF signal relay element is arranged to receive an RF signal and is arranged to retransmit the RF signal.
By providing an RF signal relay element on the carrier body the range of an RF signal being transmitted to the RFID tags on the surgical instruments may be increased. Also, the range of a return RF signal transmitted by an RFID tag on a surgical instrument may be increased. This may enable smaller RFID tags, having shorter ranges, to be used on surgical instruments for identification (each RFID tag contains identification information for the surgical instrument) and tracking during use and during decontamination and sterilisation.
In an embodiment, the RF signal relay element is arranged to receive a respective RF signal from at least one of the RFID tags and is arranged to retransmit said at least one RF signal. This may enable smaller RFID tags, having shorter ranges, to be used on surgical instruments for identification and tracking. This may enable smaller surgical instruments to be RFID tagged and may reduce the likelihood of the RFID tag adversely affecting the way the surgical instrument may be used.
In an embodiment, the RF signal relay element is arranged to receive an RF signal from an RFID tag reader and is arranged to retransmit said RF signal. This may enable an RF signal relay element to retransmit an RF signal received from an RFID tag with a higher signal power than it was received at. Retransmission of an RF signal from an RFID tag reader may also increase the spatial area covered by the RF signal and may propagate the RF signal in different directions. This may result in a greater number of RFID tags receiving the RF signal from an RFID tag reader and being read by an RFID tag reader.
In an embodiment, the surgical instrument carrier comprises a plurality of said RF signal relay elements. This may increase the range of an RF signal being transmitted to the RFID tags on the surgical instruments and may increase the range of a return RF signal transmitted by an RFID tag on a surgical instrument. This may enable smaller RFID tags, having shorter ranges, to be used on surgical instruments for identification and tracking during use and during decontamination and sterilisation.
In an embodiment, the surgical instrument carrier further comprises a lid adapted to be located on the carrier body. At least one said RF signal relay element is mounted on the lid.
This may increase the range of an RF signal being transmitted to the RFID tags on the surgical instruments and may further increase the range of a return RF signal transmitted by an RFID tag on a surgical instrument. This may enable smaller RFID tags, having shorter ranges, to be used on surgical instruments for identification and tracking during use and during decontamination and sterilisation.
In an embodiment, the carrier body comprises a base and at least one wall extending outwardly from the base and around at least part of a perimeter of the base. At least one said RF signal relay element is provided on the base or on the at least one wall. This may increase the range of an RF signal being transmitted to the RFID tags on the surgical instruments and may further increase the range of a return RF signal transmitted by an RFID tag on a surgical instrument. This may enable smaller RFID tags, having shorter ranges, to be used on surgical instruments for identification and tracking. This may also increase the spatial area covered by the RF signal and may propagate the RF signal in different directions. This may result in a greater number of RFID tags receiving the RF signal from an RFID tag reader and being read by an RFID tag reader.
In an embodiment, at least one said RF signal relay element is provided on the base and at least one said RF signal relay element is provided on the at least one wall. This may increase the range of an RF signal being transmitted to the RFID tags on the surgical instruments and may further increase the range of a return RF signal transmitted by an RFID tag on a surgical instrument. This may enable smaller RFID tags, having shorter ranges, to be used on surgical instruments for identification and tracking. This may also increase the spatial area covered by the RF signal and may propagate the RF signal in different directions. This may result in a greater number of RFID tags receiving the RF signal from an RFID tag reader and being read by an RFID tag reader.
In an embodiment, at least one said RF signal relay element is mounted on a relay element carrier adapted to be located within or around the carrier body. This may enable the carrier body to have a wide range of shapes.
Relay element can be directly mounted on carrier body or In an embodiment, the carrier body is a tray having a base and side walls.
In an embodiment, the relay element carrier is an insert adapted to be located in the tray. In an embodiment, the relay element carrier is a jacket adapted to located around the tray.
In an embodiment, the lid is movably mounted on the carrier body. In an embodiment, the lid is formed separate to the carrier body and is removably mountable on the carrier body.
In an embodiment, at least one RF signal relay element is a passive RF signal relay element comprising a metal antenna arranged to receive and retransmit the RF signal. A surgical instrument set may therefore be provided which does not require an electrical power supply. An entirely passive surgical instrument set may be provided which may be used in any environmental conditions.
In an embodiment, the metal antenna is a metal sheet, which may be a metal plate or a metal foil sheet. This may enable smaller RFID tags, having shorter ranges, to be used on surgical instruments for identification and tracking. This may also increase the spatial area covered by the RF signal and may propagate the RF signal in different directions. This may result in a greater number of RFID tags receiving the RF signal from an RFID tag reader and being read by an RFID tag reader.
In an embodiment, at least one RF signal relay element comprises an active RFID tag comprising an integrated circuit programmed to cause the active RFID tag to receive the RF signal having an RF signal frequency and to retransmit the RF signal at said RF signal frequency. This may enable smaller RFID tags, having shorter ranges, to be used on surgical instruments for identification and tracking.
In an embodiment, the integrated circuit is programmed to cause the active RFID tag to receive the RF signal having a signal power and to retransmit the RF signal at a higher signal power. This may enable smaller RFID tags, having shorter ranges, to be used on surgical instruments for identification and tracking.
In an embodiment, the carrier body is made of at least one of a metal and a plastic. In an embodiment, each RF signal relay element is arranged to receive an RF signal having a frequency of 868MHz and is arranged to retransmit the RF signal at a frequency of 10 868MHz.
A second aspect of the invention provides a surgical instrument set comprising a surgical instrument carrier and a plurality of surgical instruments. Each surgical instrument comprises a respective RFID tag containing identification information for the surgical instrument. The surgical instrument carrier comprising a carrier body and a radio frequency, RF, signal relay element. The carrier body is adapted to receive a plurality of surgical instruments. Each surgical instrument comprises a respective radio frequency identification, RFID, tag. The RF signal relay element is arranged to receive an RF signal and is arranged to retransmit the RF signal.
By providing an RF signal relay element on the carrier body the range of an RF signal being transmitted to the RFID tags on the surgical instruments may be increased. Also, the range of a return RF signal transmitted by an RFID tag on a surgical instrument may be increased. This may enable smaller RFID tags, having shorter ranges, to be used on surgical instruments for identification (each RFID tag contains identification information for the surgical instrument) and tracking during use and during decontamination and sterilisation.
In an embodiment, the RF signal relay element is arranged to receive a respective RF signal from at least one of the RFID tags and is arranged to retransmit said at least one RF signal. This may enable smaller RFID tags, having shorter ranges, to be used on surgical instruments for identification and tracking. This may enable smaller surgical instruments to be RFID tagged and may reduce the likelihood of the RFID tag adversely affecting the way the surgical instrument may be used.
In an embodiment, the RF signal relay element is arranged to receive an RF signal from an RFID tag reader and is arranged to retransmit said RF signal. This may enable an RF signal relay element to retransmit an RF signal received from an RFID tag with a higher signal power than it was received at. Retransmission of an RF signal from an RFID tag reader may also increase the spatial area covered by the RF signal and may propagate the RF signal in different directions. This may result in a greater number of RFID tags receiving the RF signal from an RFID tag reader and being read by an RFID tag reader.
In an embodiment, the surgical instrument carrier comprises a plurality of said RF signal relay elements. This may increase the range of an RF signal being transmitted to the RFID tags on the surgical instruments and may increase the range of a return RF signal transmitted by an RFID tag on a surgical instrument. This may enable smaller RFID tags, having shorter ranges, to be used on surgical instruments for identification and tracking during use and during decontamination and sterilisation.
In an embodiment, the surgical instrument carrier further comprises a lid adapted to be located on the carrier body. At least one said RF signal relay element is mounted on the lid. This may increase the range of an RF signal being transmitted to the RFID tags on the surgical instruments and may further increase the range of a return RF signal transmitted by an RFID tag on a surgical instrument. This may enable smaller RFID tags, having shorter ranges, to be used on surgical instruments for identification and tracking during use and during decontamination and sterilisation.
In an embodiment, the carrier body comprises a base and at least one wall extending outwardly from the base and around at least part of a perimeter of the base. At least one said RF signal relay element is provided on the base or on the at least one wall. This may increase the range of an RF signal being transmitted to the RFID tags on the surgical instruments and may further increase the range of a return RF signal transmitted by an RFID tag on a surgical instrument. This may enable smaller RFID tags, having shorter ranges, to be used on surgical instruments for identification and tracking. This may also increase the spatial area covered by the RF signal and may propagate the RF signal in different directions. This may result in a greater number of RFID tags receiving the RF signal from an RFID tag reader and being read by an RFID tag reader.
In an embodiment, at least one said RF signal relay element is provided on the base and at least one said RF signal relay element is provided on the at least one wall. This may increase the range of an RF signal being transmitted to the RFID tags on the surgical instruments and may further increase the range of a return RF signal transmitted by an RFID tag on a surgical instrument. This may enable smaller RFID tags, having shorter ranges, to be used on surgical instruments for identification and tracking. This may also increase the spatial area covered by the RF signal and may propagate the RF signal in different directions. This may result in a greater number of RFID tags receiving the RF signal from an RFID tag reader and being read by an RFID tag reader.
In an embodiment, at least one said RF signal relay element is mounted on a relay element carrier adapted to be located within or around the carrier body. This may enable the carrier body to have a wide range of shapes.
Relay element can be directly mounted on carrier body or In an embodiment, the carrier body is a tray having a base and side walls.
In an embodiment, the relay element carrier is an insert adapted to be located in the tray. In an embodiment, the relay element carrier is a jacket adapted to located around the tray.
In an embodiment, the lid is movably mounted on the carrier body. In an embodiment, the lid is formed separate to the carrier body and is removably mountable on the carrier body.
In an embodiment, at least one RF signal relay element is a passive RF signal relay element comprising a metal antenna arranged to receive and retransmit the RF signal. A surgical instrument set may therefore be provided which does not require an electrical power supply. An entirely passive surgical instrument set may be provided which may be used in any environmental conditions.
In an embodiment, the metal antenna is a metal sheet, which may be a metal plate or a metal foil sheet. This may enable smaller RFID tags, having shorter ranges, to be used on surgical instruments for identification and tracking. This may also increase the spatial area covered by the RF signal and may propagate the RF signal in different directions. This may result in a greater number of RFID tags receiving the RF signal from an RFID tag reader and being read by an RFID tag reader.
In an embodiment, at least one RF signal relay element comprises an active RFID tag comprising an integrated circuit programmed to cause the active RFID tag to receive the RF signal having an RF signal frequency and to retransmit the RF signal at said RF signal frequency. This may enable smaller RFID tags, having shorter ranges, to be used on surgical instruments for identification and tracking.
In an embodiment, the integrated circuit is programmed to cause the active RFID tag to receive the RF signal having a signal power and to retransmit the RF signal at a higher signal power. This may enable smaller RFID tags, having shorter ranges, to be used on surgical instruments for identification and tracking.
In an embodiment, the carrier body is made of at least one of a metal and a plastic.
In an embodiment, each RF signal relay element is arranged to receive an RF signal having a frequency of 868MHz and is arranged to retransmit the RF signal at a frequency of 868MHz.
Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 shows a surgical instrument carrier according to a first embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 shows a surgical instrument carrier according to a fifth embodiment of the invention; Figure 3 shows a surgical instrument carrier according to a sixth embodiment of the invention; Figure 4 shows a surgical instrument carrier according to a seventh embodiment of the invention; Figure 5 shows a surgical instrument carrier according to an eighth embodiment of the invention; Figure 6 shows a surgical instrument carrier according to a ninth embodiment of the invention; Figure 7 shows a surgical instrument carrier according to a tenth embodiment of the invention; Figure 8 shows a surgical instrument carrier according to an eleventh embodiment of the invention; Figure 9 shows a surgical instrument set according to a twelfth embodiment of the invention; and Figure 10 shows a surgical instrument set according to a thirteenth embodiment of the invention.
The same reference numbers will used for corresponding features in different embodiments.
Referring to Figure 1, a first embodiment of the invention provides a surgical instrument carrier 10 comprising a carrier body 12 and a radio frequency, RF, signal relay element 14. The carrier body is adapted to receive a plurality of surgical instruments. Each surgical instrument comprises a respective radio frequency identification, RFID, tag. The RF signal relay element is arranged to receive an RF signal and is arranged to retransmit the RF signal. In a second embodiment, also described with reference to Figure 1, the RF signal relay element 14 is arranged to receive an RF interrogation signal from a RFID reader and is arranged to retransmit the RF interrogation signal. The RF signal relay element is also arranged to receive an RF return signal from an RFID tag on a surgical instrument located on the carrier body 12.
The RF signal relay element may be arranged to cause the active RFID tag to receive a RF return signal having a signal power and to retransmit the RF return signal at a higher signal power.
The RF signal relay element may receive respective RF return signals from a plurality of RFID tags on respective surgical instruments on the carrier body. The RF signal relay element is arranged to retransmit each RF signal that it receives.
In a third embodiment, also described with reference to Figure 1, the RF signal relay element 14 is a passive RF signal relay element. The RF signal relay element comprises a metal antenna arranged to receive and retransmit the RF signal. The metal antenna comprises a metal sheet which may take the form of a metal plate or a metal foil sheet. The RF signal relay element may be arranged to cause the active RFID tag to receive a RF return signal having a signal power and to retransmit the RF return signal at a higher signal power.
In a fourth embodiment, also described with reference to Figure 1, the RF signal relay element 14 comprises an active RFID tag. The RFID tag comprises an integrated circuit and an energy storage device such as a battery. The integrated circuit is programmed to cause the active RFID tag to receive the RF signal having an RF signal frequency and to retransmit the RF signal at that same RF signal frequency. The integrated circuit may also be programmed to cause the active RFID tag to receive the RF signal having a signal power and to retransmit the RF signal at a higher signal power.
A fifth embodiment of the invention provides a surgical instrument carrier 20 as shown in Figure 2. The surgical instrument carrier 20 of this embodiment comprises a plurality of RF signal relay elements 14, as described above. Two RF signal relay elements 14 are shown but it will be appreciated that a greater number may be provided, and they may be arranged in a different configuration.
Referring to Figure 3, a sixth embodiment of the invention provides a surgical instrument carrier 30 in which the carrier body takes the form of a tray, comprising a base 32 and at least one wall 34 extending outwardly from the base and around at least part of a perimeter of the base. An RF signal relay element 14 is provided on the base. It will be appreciated that the RF signal relay element may alternatively be provided on the wall.
A seventh embodiment of the invention provides a surgical instrument carrier 40 as shown in Figure 4. In this embodiment, the surgical instrument carrier comprises six RF signal relay elements 14. Four of the RF signal relay elements are provided on the base 32 and two are provided on opposing walls 34. It will be appreciated that the RF signal relay elements may be arranged in a different configuration to that shown in the drawing.
An eighth embodiment of the invention provides a surgical instrument carrier 50 as shown in Figure 5. The surgical instrument carrier 50 additionally comprises a lid 52, which is adapted to be located on the carrier body. The RF signal relay element 14 is mounted on the lid.
The lid 52 is shown separate and removable from the carrier body, but it will be appreciated that it may alternatively be movably mounted on the carrier body. For example, the lid may be mounted via hinges connecting one edge of the lid to a wall of the carrier body. A ninth embodiment of the invention provides a surgical instrument carrier 60 as shown in Figure 6. In this embodiment, a first RF signal relay element 14 is provided on the lid and a second RF signal relay element 14 is provided on the base 32. The lid 52 is again shown separate and removable from the carrier body, but it will be appreciated that it may alternatively be movably mounted on the carrier body.
Referring to Figure 7, a tenth embodiment of the invention provides a surgical instrument carrier 70 in which the RF signal relay element 14 is mounted on a relay element carrier 72 adapted to be located within the carrier body, which in this embodiment takes the form of a tray.
Referring to Figure 8, an eleventh embodiment of the invention provides a surgical instrument carrier 80 which is similar to the surgical instrument carrier 70 of the previous embodiment and additionally comprises a second relay element carrier 82 adapted to be located around the carrier body. Two RF signal relay elements 14 are provided on the second relay element carrier.
A twelfth embodiment of the invention provides a surgical instrument set 100 as shown in Figure 9. The surgical instrument set comprises a surgical instrument carrier 10 as shown in Figure 1, and described with reference to any of the first to fourth embodiments, and a plurality of surgical instruments 102. Each surgical instrument comprise a respective RFID tag 104 which contains identification information for the surgical instrument. The surgical instruments 102 are shown illustratively as scalpels but it will be appreciated by the skilled person that the surgical instrument set may comprise a range of different surgical instruments, each having a respective RFID tag provided on them, according to the surgical procedure that the surgical instrument set 100 is intended to be used to perform.
A thirteenth embodiment of the invention provides a surgical instrument set 110 as shown in Figure 10. The surgical instrument set comprises a surgical instrument carrier 40 as shown in Figure 4. It will be appreciated that the surgical instrument set may alternatively comprise any of the surgical instrument carriers 20, 30, 50, 60, 70, 80 described above with reference to Figures 2, 3 and 5 to 8.

Claims (14)

  1. CLAIMS1. A surgical instrument carrier comprising: a carrier body adapted to receive a plurality of surgical instruments each comprising a respective radio frequency identification, RFID, tag; and a radio frequency, RF, signal relay element arranged to receive an RF signal and arranged to retransmit the RF signal.
  2. 2. A surgical instrument carrier as claimed in claim 1, wherein the RF signal relay element is arranged to receive a respective RF signal from at least one of the RFID tags and is arranged to retransmit said at least one RF signal.
  3. 3. A surgical instrument carrier as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the RF signal relay element is arranged to receive an RF signal from an RFID tag reader and is arranged to retransmit said RF signal.
  4. 4. A surgical instrument carrier as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising a plurality of said RF signal relay elements.
  5. 5. A surgical instrument carrier as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the carrier body comprises a base and at least one wall extending outwardly from the base and around at least part of a perimeter of the base, and wherein at least one said RF signal relay element is provided on the base or on the at least one wall.
  6. 6. A surgical instrument carrier as claimed in claim 5, wherein at least one said RF signal relay element is provided on the base and at least one said RF signal relay element is provided on the at least one wall.
  7. 7. A surgical instrument carrier as claimed in any preceding, further comprising a lid adapted to be located on the carrier body, and wherein at least one said RF signal relay element is mounted on the lid.
  8. 8. A surgical instrument carrier as claimed in any of claims 5 to 7, wherein at least one said RF signal relay element is mounted on a relay element carrier adapted to be located within or around the carrier body.
  9. 9. A surgical instrument carrier as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein at least one RF signal relay element is a passive RF signal relay element comprising a metal antenna arranged to receive and retransmit the RF signal.
  10. 10. A surgical instrument carrier as claimed in claim 9, wherein the metal antenna is a metal sheet.
  11. 11. A surgical instrument carrier as claimed in claim 10, wherein the metal sheet is a metal plate or a metal foil sheet.
  12. 12. A surgical instrument carrier as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein at least one RF signal relay element comprises an active RFID tag comprising an integrated circuit programmed to cause the active RFID tag to receive the RF signal having an RF signal frequency and to retransmit the RF signal at said RF signal frequency.
  13. 13. A surgical instrument carrier as claimed in claim 12, wherein the integrated circuit is programmed to cause the active RFID tag to receive the RF signal having a signal power and to retransmit the RF signal at a higher signal power.
  14. 14. A surgical instrument set comprising: a surgical instrument carrier as claimed in any preceding claim; and a plurality of surgical instruments each comprising a respective RFID tag containing identification information for the surgical instrument.
GB1504260.9A 2015-03-13 2015-03-13 Surgical instrument carrier and set Withdrawn GB2536425A (en)

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Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
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Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
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GB2536425A true GB2536425A (en) 2016-09-21

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Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20060119481A1 (en) * 2004-12-08 2006-06-08 Sdgi Holdings, Inc Workstation RFID reader for surgical instruments and surgical instrument trays and methods of using same
US20060244593A1 (en) * 2005-04-28 2006-11-02 Sdgi Holdings, Inc. Smart instrument tray RFID reader
WO2009003231A1 (en) * 2007-07-02 2009-01-08 Mems-Id Pty Ltd Tagging systems, methods and apparatus
US20100201487A1 (en) * 2009-02-12 2010-08-12 HALDOR Advanced Technologies L.T.D Apparatus for identifying & tracking multiple tools and disposables
DE202011050118U1 (en) * 2011-05-13 2011-06-22 Aesculap AG, 78532 Surgical container contents detection system

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20060119481A1 (en) * 2004-12-08 2006-06-08 Sdgi Holdings, Inc Workstation RFID reader for surgical instruments and surgical instrument trays and methods of using same
US20060244593A1 (en) * 2005-04-28 2006-11-02 Sdgi Holdings, Inc. Smart instrument tray RFID reader
WO2009003231A1 (en) * 2007-07-02 2009-01-08 Mems-Id Pty Ltd Tagging systems, methods and apparatus
US20100201487A1 (en) * 2009-02-12 2010-08-12 HALDOR Advanced Technologies L.T.D Apparatus for identifying & tracking multiple tools and disposables
DE202011050118U1 (en) * 2011-05-13 2011-06-22 Aesculap AG, 78532 Surgical container contents detection system

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