Patent ID: 8181860

Claim:
Scanning apparatus comprising: a housing; an object entry detection zone adapted to receive surgical sponges prior to introduction into a surgical site; at least one entry scanner operatively associated with said entry detection zone and adapted to inspect said surgical sponges using RF identifiers of said surgical sponges, wherein the entry scanner is configured to detect a sponge identifier and a package identifier; an object exit detection zone adapted to receive surgical sponges discarded after exit from said surgical site; at least one exit scanner operatively associated with said exit detection zone and adapted to inspect said surgical sponges using the RF identifiers of said surgical sponges regardless of the orientation of said surgical sponges; control circuitry operatively associated with said scanners and adapted to control the operation of said scanners, wherein said control circuitry is further adapted to: store data regarding the number, identity, and package association of said surgical sponges prior to introduction into said surgical site; perform a consistency check for each package detected using the package identifiers and determined quantities associated with the package identifiers, wherein an alert is issued when a number of sponges associated with a package identifier does not match the determined quantity associated with the package identifier; store data regarding the number and identity of said surgical sponges after exit from said surgical site; compare said data regarding said number and identity of surgical sponges inspected by said entry scanner with said data regarding said number and identity of surgical sponges inspected by said exit scanner to determine if all surgical sponges entering said surgical site have been removed from said surgical site; and initiate an alarm if, at the end of a surgical procedure, said comparison determines that not all surgical sponges entering the surgical site have exited the surgical site.