Patent ID: 8587410

Claim:
A system comprising: a reader configured to be positioned within a read range of a first radio frequency identification (RFID) tag coupled to a first connector and a second RFID tag coupled to a second connector, wherein the reader is configured to interrogate the first and second RFID tags with a variable radio frequency (RF) energy or at different distances within the read range and determine if the first RFID tag and the second RFID tag have been gamma sterilized based on signals received from the first and second RFID tags, wherein the reader determines that the first connector and/or the second connector are gamma sterilized if the reader determines that a signature received from the respective RFID tag has been changed by gamma radiation, and wherein the reader is also, based on the signals received from the first and second RFID tags, configured to at least one of: determine whether the first and second connectors were previously used; determine whether the first and second connectors are authentic; or determine whether the first RFID tag matches with the second RFID tag.