Patent ID: 8643491

Claim:
A method for communicating radio frequency identification signals with a medical component, the method comprising: providing a pulsed signal from a radio frequency identification reader to a medical component that includes a radio frequency identification device with an antenna; tuning the antenna to receive electromagnetic waves from the pulsed signal that induce a current in the antenna, tuning the antenna including aligning a coil with the electromagnetic waves from the radio frequency identification reader to intercept a maximum electromagnetic signal from the electromagnetic waves for inducing the current in the antenna; receiving, at the radio frequency identification reader, one or more response signals including one or more modulated electromagnetic waves from the medical component; converting the received one or more responses including the modulated electromagnetic waves into digital data associated with the medical component; storing in a memory the digital data associated with the medical component; and providing input/output channels for controlling a device external to the radio frequency identification reader.