Patent ID: 9589226
Date: 2017-03-07
CPC Classifications: A61J,G06K

Claim:
1. An identification system for a medical item container, the container having an internal size selected to hold a medical item within and having an opening at one end on which is mounted a metallic closure, the metallic closure having an inner surface and an outer surface and an opening through which a cannula may be inserted to access the medical article within the item container, the container further having a side on which a label having visually readable information concerning the held item is mounted, the label having ends which, when the label is mounted to the container, are separated from each other by a space, the identification system comprising: an electrically resistant seal located between the inner surface of the metallic closure and the opening of the container, wherein the seal prevents the medical item from escaping the container and provides electrical insulation from the electrically conductive metal closure to the medical item located within the medical container, the seal being formed of a material that may be pierced by a sharpened cannula pressed through the opening of the closure for access to the medical article within the container; an RFID tag comprising a first antenna element, a second antenna element, and a tag circuitry element mounted to the outside surface of the container and connected to the first and second antenna elements, the tag circuitry element including a memory and a processor configured to receive an interrogation signal through the first and second antenna elements and to transmit a response identification signal to the interrogation signal through the first and second antenna elements, wherein the response identification signal is associated with a medical item held by the medical container to identify the held item; wherein the first antenna element comprises a first segment connected directly to the circuitry element and mounted to the outer surface of the container, and a second segment that is electrically connected to the metallic closure of the container thereby increasing the effective surface area of the antenna with the metallic closure; and wherein the second antenna element is mounted to the container and extending along the side of the container between the ends of the labeling mounted on the container, such that the second antenna element does not mask any visually readable information of the labeling.