Patent ID: 9730850
Date: 2017-08-15
CPC Classifications: A61B,A61G,G06K,H01Q

Claim:
1. An apparatus to detect transponder tagged objects which are used in performing medical procedures, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of antennas spaced at fixed positions along at least a portion of a length of a patient support structure that is sized to support a patient, at least one of the antennas having a measurable physical characteristic that varies in response to a physical force applied to the at least one of the antennas; and a control system communicatively coupled to the antennas to activate respective ones of at least two of the antennas to transmit respective interrogation signals, to detect a response signal generated by a transponder responsive to the interrogation signals, and to detect a value indicative of the measurable physical characteristic that varies in response to the physical force applied to the at least one of the antenna.