Patent ID: 7667606

Claim:
A method for monitoring activities in a operating room during a surgical procedure, comprising the steps of: (a) disposing in the operating room a first transceiver operating in a long wavelength mode in which 99.99% or more of radiated energy is in the form of a magnetic field, (b) associating a distinguishable radio frequency-enabled identification tag with each of a plurality of persons assigned to the surgical procedure, (c) transmitting a signal from the first transceiver and monitoring responses from the identification tags, (d) creating a log from the monitored responses indicative activities of each of the persons in the operating room, (e) further comprising the step of disposing in the operating room a second transceiver operating in a long wavelength mode in which 99.99% or more of radiated energy is in the form of a magnetic field at a location different from the first transceiver, (f) wherein the first transceiver is disposed in association with a portable cart, and (g) wherein the second transceiver is disposed in association with the portable at a different position from that of the first transceiver.