WO2007083337A1

WO2007083337A1 - Radio frequency identification integrated circuit (rfid) having an extensible? antenna

Info

Publication number: WO2007083337A1
Application number: PCT/IT2007/000014
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sonia Deola; Mauro Scardanzan; Luca Nanetti
Original assignee: Sonia Deola; Mauro Scardanzan; Luca Nanetti
Priority date: 2006-01-23
Filing date: 2007-01-09
Publication date: 2007-07-26

Abstract

Radio frequency identification integrated circuit (RFID) comprising at least an extendible antenna, characterised in that said at least an antenna is elastically extendible or it can be extended for effect of its shape.

Description

RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION INTEGRATED CIRCUIT (RFID) HAVING AN EXTENSIBLE?ANTENNA

The present invention relates to a radio frequency identification integrated circuit (RFID) having an extendible antenna.

More specifically, the invention concerns a device of the above kind provided with an antenna suitable to be extended in the surrounding space, in case by an elastic support, thus occupying areas having a dimension proportional to the change of shape.

From now on the term elastic support will be used to mean any extendible ring or filament irrespective of its size or the material that it is made of whilst the term antenna will be used for any antenna which can be attached to an RFID circuit and then return to the same circuit. The invention further relates to an elastic or elastic band provided with an RFID circuit with extendible antenna for electronic marking of surgical instruments and/or surgical tampons and or drainages.

The term elastic or elastic band will henceforth refer to any ring or extendible band irrespective of its size, dimension, or the material that it is made; the term antenna will henceforth refer to any antenna which can start from an RFID circuit and then return to the same circuit; the term surgical instruments will henceforth refer to any surgical instrument to be used in surgery and/or for inner or outer medication; the term drainages will henceforth refer to any tube or analogous of any size of dimension that Jt is able to facility the liquid drainage from pathologic or natural cavities, at the same time maintaining open, an orifice; whilst the term surgical tampons will refer to any object of any shape, regular or irregular, that is used in surgery to absorb and/or contain liquids or solids in the operating area, and also used in general for dressing of wounds, stitching and medication in general.

Furthermore, the invention concerns gauzes or tampons or textile material that can be detected by an RFID circuit with extendible antenna.

It is therefore specific object of the present invention a radio frequency identification integrated circuit (RFID) comprising at least an extendible antenna, characterised in that said at least an antenna is elastically extendible or it can be extended for effect of its shape. Further features of the radio frequency identification integrated circuit (RFID) having an extendible antenna are described in the dependent claims 2 - 18.

The invention further relates to elastic or elastic band provided with one or more radio frequency identification integrated circuits (RFID) with extendible antenna as described and claimed.

Finally, the invention concerns gauzes or tampons or textile material characterised in that they are provided with one or more radio frequency identification integrated circuits (RFID) with extendible antenna as described and claimed.

The present invention will be now described, for illustrative but not limitative purposes, according to its preferred embodiments, with particular reference to the figures of the enclosed drawings, wherein: figure 1 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a radio frequency identification integrated circuits (RFID) with extendible antenna according to the invention; figure 2, 2a, 2b is a schematic view of a second embodiment of a radio frequency identification integrated circuits (RFID) with extendible antenna according to the invention; figure 3, 3a, 3b is a schematic view of a third embodiment of a radio frequency identification integrated circuits (RFID) with extendible antenna according to the invention; figure 4, 4a, 4b is a schematic view of a fourth embodiment of a radio frequency identification integrated circuits (RFID) with extendible antenna according to the invention; figure 5 is a schematic view of a fifth embodiment of a radio frequency identification integrated circuits (RFID) with extendible antenna according to the invention; figure 6 shows a surgical instrument with elastic provided with a circuit according to the invention; figure 7 shows a further application of an elastic provided with a circuit according to the invention; figure 8 shows a further application of an elastic provided with a circuit according to the invention. Observing figures 1 - 5 of the enclosed drawings, they show different embodiments of a radio frequency identification device (RFID) 2, provided with antenna 1 that can be extended elastically or by change of shape in the space surrounding the same, so that it occupies an area proportional to the changes (see zones indicated by reference numbers 3 and 4 in figure 1), where antenna 1 dimensions are modified.

An elastic support 3, see figure 4b, can support or incorporate the extendible antenna 1 according to the present invention.

More specifically, one or more conductor filament branches from the radio frequency circuit 2, that can follow any path and return to the RFID 2 taking up the shape and the degree of extension dictated by the eventual elastic 3 that supports it and/or in which it is incorporated. If, just as an example, we assume that the elastic support 3 is circular and we wrap around the entire length of the elastic a conductor filament which follows a sinusoidal route leaving the RFID circuit 2 and then returns to it, we have a circular antenna which is capable of increasing its own diameter up to the limit imposed by the coefficient of elasticity of the material of which the elastic base 3 is composed.

According to the present invention, the RFID circuit 2 can be of the active, semi-passive or passive type obviously on the basis of the size of the elastic that incorporates it or supports it; and it can also be an external appendage according to the specific production needing. Furthermore, the., extendible antenna 2 can run in or on the elastic support 3 and be solid with it and has the particular feature of being able to extend itself without breaking to the limits of extension of the elastic support.

Three types of antennae are shown in the figures, for exemplificative and not limitative purposes,:

- type no. 1 (figure , 2): the extendible antenna 1 follows a precise and clearly defined zigzag path in such a way as to achieve a considerable extension which can be predetermined mathematically;

- type no. 2 (figure 3): the antenna 1 follows a less precise zigzag path with less peaks in such a way as to achieve a extension, which can be predetermined mathematically;

- type no. 3 (figure 4): the antenna 1 follows a circular or spiral path in such a way as to achieve a extension, which can be predetermined mathematically. All the figures (a) represent an extendible antenna and an elastic support which both assume the same shape whether a precise and clearly defined zigzag or a less clearly defined one with less points and circular or as a spiral whilst all figures (b) show an elastic support with a circular shape in which the extendible antenna is incorporated and represents all the different shapes just described: the result is substantially the same, in the sense that the antenna's ability to extend without breaking does not change.

Important variants are shown in figures 4c and 5; in figure 4c is shown the antenna wrapped around the elastic while in figure 5 two different antennae 1 , 1' can be seen identified by continuous and broken lines and they work together to increase the available area. Such a solution implicitly demonstrates how it would be possible to increase to as many as required the number of antennae attached to the radio frequency identification circuit, limited only by the thickness of the antennae and/or the diameter and extension of the elastic.

It is important to note that the antenna, in whichever shape they are extended either in or on the elastic support, can follow every extension and relaxation to which the elastic support is subjected in its various industrial applications without losing the capacity for radio frequency identification.

Extension of antenna can be obtained in different ways, according to the specific realisation. If the antenna is incorporated, one or more immersion can be realised within a suitable liquefied "rubber" bath (using the generic term "rubber" to indicate a suitable polymer or mixture), or it can be used a process providing the use of a rubber tube, having a set diameter, on which circuits are inserted, such as parallel bracelets, thus putting above it a second rubber cylinder, having a ,slightly larger diameter, with a suitable adhesive to weld the coupling (and/or the assembly can be heated so as to ensure the coupling), thus suitably obtaining rings with such a thickness that the circuit is completely contained within the ring. Instead, if the circuit is outside the support, antenna could be wrapped about the same support, and vice versa.

Just the shape of the antenna, having an "accordion" shape with more or less rounded corners, and/or having a coil shape, ensure its extensibility. What is relevant to be able for individuation is cosine of angle included between each infinitesimal segment comprising the antenna and the plane individuated by the same antenna, so that, substantially, antenna "efficiency" is always the same regardless the zigzag extension of conductor.

Coming now to observe figures 6 - 8 of the enclosed drawings, it is shown the use of the extendible antenna 1 described in the above contained and/or supported by an elastic or elastic band 1 suitable to be used in different ways.

In the following, the different possible applications according to the present invention are separately indicated, to better understand simplicity of using the invention: 1) With reference to the surgical instruments, that are frequently left inside the body of the patient after the surgery due to the absence of an automatic counting procedure of used and unused surgical instruments, we plan the simple putting of such an elastic 11 according to the present invention, on every surgical instrument 12 (figure 6). Surgeons will then perform the surgery with instruments individually marked, thus allowing an automatic, safe and immediate check of surgical instruments' number. In order to make possible to wash, disinfect, and sterilize marked surgical instruments it will be possible to optionally strip the elastic 11 , with RFID circuit with extendible antenna, from the instrument itself: because the circuit is preferably sterilized by ethylene oxide, we think that the hospitals will maintain the autoclave steam sterilization for instruments and that elastic bands with RFID circuit with extendible antenna will be separately acquired in the form of kits of previously sterilized elastics to be applied on each instrument before the use of the instrument itself . The elastics with RFID circuit with extendible antenna can be disposable, or they can possibly be reused, providing a suitable sterilization of the same; 2) with reference to surgical tampons provided with containment inner elastic, the same elastic is provided in RFID circuit 2 with extendible antenna. It is pointed out that, when manufacturing tampons provided with an elastic, a circular elastic having a diameter of about 5 mm is inserted in the mother gauze gusset by a punch, or similar device, and at the same time the gauze gusset is wrapped, with radio-opaque barium filament, in the same elastic remaining inside the tampon, firmly fixing it, so that it can no more change its spherical shape obtained. Obviously, due to trade needing, tampon shape can be varied and not all of them have the inner elastic (just as an example, dimension can vary from 4 cm x 4 cm with a not-circular shape - see figure 11b - to 6 mm of diameter in case of a circular shape - see figure 11a-: the latter type of hemi-rigid tampon is clearly difficult to be detected by RX rays since it is very small;

3) with reference to the application of the RFID circuit 2 with extendible antenna 1 to drainages, it is quite interesting, since it is possible using two different ways:

- first one consists" adding to standard drainages, that usually are forgotten within the patient body, elastic or elastic band 11 (figure 2) with antenna 1 according to the present invention;

- the second provides building in the RFID circuit in the plastic material of drainage during the manufacturing of the same drainage (figure

3).

Just in view of the use of elastics, the solution suggested according to the present invention can be applied for individuating surgical instruments, tampons and drainages that are employed for surgical purposes or for other purposes.

Needless to say now that use of all products with the above manufacturing and identification procedures according to the invention can improve prevention of all those mistaken incurring in the medical field or in another field, and that nowadays can be avoided using the simple and innocuous radio frequency procedure.

It is clear that elastic or elastic band applied to products according to the present invention can also contain at the beginning a generic and suitable active, passive or hemi-passive RFID tag, even with not extendible antenna in case the circuit with extendible antenna requires long time for its realization.

The same application can occur for gauzes or tampons or textile elements for their identification.

The present invention has been described for illustrative but not limitative purposes, according to its preferred embodiments, but it is to be understood that modifications and/or changes can be introduced by those skilled in the art without departing from the relevant scope as defined in the enclosed claims.

Claims

1. Radio frequency identification integrated circuit (RFID) comprising at least an extendible antenna, characterised in that said at least an antenna is elastically extendible or it can be extended for effect of its shape.

2. Radio frequency identification integrated circuit (RFID) according to claim 1, characterised in that said at least an antenna extends by an elastic support. *

3. Radio frequency identification integrated circuit (RFID) according to claim 2, characterised in that said elastic support is comprised of an extendible ring or filament, made up of any suitable natural or artificial material.

4. Radio frequency identification integrated circuit (RFID) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said radio frequency identification circuit is of an active, semi-passive or passive type.

5. Radio frequency identification integrated circuit (RFID) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said radio frequency identification circuit is entirely or partially incorporated into the elastic support. "^" '

6. Radio frequency identification integrated circuit (RFID) according to one of the preceding claims 1 - 4, characterised in that said radio frequency identification circuit is entirely or partially incorporated into the elastic support.

7. Radio frequency identification integrated circuit (RFID) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said at least an antenna runs on its own.

8. Radio frequency identification integrated circuit (RFID) according to one of the preceding claims 1 - 6, characterised in that said at least an extendible antenna extends together with the elastic support.

9. Radio frequency identification integrated circuit (RFID) according to one of the preceding claims 1 - 6, characterised in that said at least an extendible antenna extends within or above the elastic, integrally or not with the same.

10. Radio frequency identification integrated circuit (RFID) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said at least an extendible antenna is comprised of material extending without breaking.

11. Radio frequency identification integrated circuit (RFID) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said extendible antenna follows, by its own or in or on the elastic support, different paths permitting its extension.

12. Radio frequency identification integrated circuit (RFID) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said at least an extendible antenna is continually extended and released without damaging the integrity of the circuit.

13. Radio frequency identification integrated circuit (RFID) according to one of the preceding claims 7, 8, characterised in that said extendible antenna is incorporated within the elastic support.

14. Radio frequency identification integrated circuit (RFID) according to one of the preceding claims 7, 8, characterised in that said at least an extendible antenna integrally or not runs along the elastic support during and by the standard elastic manufacturing processes.

15. Radio frequency identification integrated circuit (RFID) according to one of the preceding claims 7, 8, characterised in that said at least an extendible antenna is inserted into or applied to the individual finished products with laser technology, etc.

16. Radio frequency identification integrated circuit (RFID) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said at least an extendible antenna is comprised of any material, either plastic material or not.

17. Radio frequency identification integrated circuit (RFID) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said at least an extendible antenna has a uniform or variable thickness.

18. Radio frequency identification integrated circuit (RFID) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it is provided more than an extendible antenna.

19. Elastic or elastic band characterised in that it provides one or more radio frequency identification integrated circuits (RFID) with extendible antenna according to each one of the claims 1 - 18.

20. Gauzes or tampons or textile material characterised in that they are provided with one or more radio frequency identification integrated circuits (RFID) with extendible antenna according to each one of the claims 1 - 18.

21. Instruments or, drainages for surgical use or for any other use characterised in that they provide one or more radio frequency identification integrated circuits (RFID) with extendible antenna according o each one of the claims 1 - 18.