A method of displaying an operational parameter of a surgical system is disclosed. The method includes receiving, by a cloud computing system of the surgical system, first usage data, from a first subset of surgical hubs of the surgical system; receiving, by the cloud computing system, second usage data, from a second subset of surgical hubs of the surgical system; analyzing, by the cloud computing system, the first and the second usage data to correlate the first and the second usage data with surgical outcome data; determining, by the cloud computing system, based on the correlation, a recommended medical resource usage configuration; and displaying, on respective displays on the first and the second subset of surgical hubs, indications of the recommended medical resource usage configuration.

An apparatus for determining a passing time of a passive RFID sports timing transponder includes a housing for protecting the apparatus; an RFID reader unit connected to an RFID antenna for remotely determining an identity and a passing time of the transponder; a location unit for determining a location of the apparatus; a mobile communication unit connected to a mobile communication antenna for transmitting the identity and the passing time of the transponder and the location of the apparatus to a processing unit; and a communication unit for communicating with another similar apparatus in an immediate spatial vicinity to synchronize operation of the RFID reader unit and an RFID reader unit of the similar apparatus to avoid interference. The RFID reader unit, the RFID antenna, the location unit, the mobile communication unit and the neighbor communication unit are integrated in a common printed circuit board that is mounted within the housing.

A tag reading apparatus comprises a passage that is configured to receive an RFID-tagged article that is to be registered in a transaction. The passage has an inlet end and an outlet end separated from each other in a first direction and width in a second direction. An antenna is in the passage at a position between the inlet and outlet ends in the first direction. An RFID reader is provided to read an RFID tag according to a response wave from the RFID tag received via the antenna. A controller is configured to identify the RFID-tagged article as being in the transaction according to a change in the response wave (such as a phase difference or intensity) corresponding to a movement of the RFID-tagged article from the inlet end to the outlet end.

At the time of manufacture of medical items that are to be consumed during patient care, a unique identification number is assigned to each item and the number is encoded in an RFID tag attached to the item. The manufacturer registers the unique identification number for each individual medical item in a Unique Device Identification (UDI) Serialized Tracking Database. The UDI Serialized Tracking Database maps each unique identification number to each item's UDI number that has been assigned by the Food and Drug Administration. As each item is consumed during medical treatment and its cost is billed to payers, the unique identification number of the item is reported and verified. This provides for detection of certain types of fraud in the dispensing of medical items by validating that necessary supplies were actually used during patient care.

A method for execution by a RFID tag includes receiving, from an RFID reader, an RF signal, where the RF signal has a carrier frequency of a plurality of carrier frequencies that span a broad frequency band. The method further includes adjusting input impedance of the RFID tag over a range of input impedances, where the input impedance of the RFID tag is based on one or more of impedance of the RFID tag's antenna and tank circuit. The method further includes monitoring power level of the received RF signal over the range of input impedances. The method further includes selecting the input impedance of the range of input impedances providing a substantially maximum power level of the received RF signal, where the substantially maximum power level corresponds to the carrier frequency being substantially equal to a resonant frequency of at least one of the antenna and the tank circuit.

A vehicle is provided that comprises two or more radio frequency (RF) antennas and two or more RF transceivers to communicate wirelessly sensitive information associated with a user of the vehicle (the two or more RF antennas being at different physical locations on an exterior of the vehicle). The vehicle determines which one of the two or more RF antennas is receiving a strongest signal from a common signal source, selects a first RF transceiver associated with the RF antenna with the strongest signal to send the sensitive information associated with the user to the common signal source, and sends the sensitive information associated with the user to the first RF transceiver for transmission to the common signal source.

A surgical product supply system includes a cart having a first compartment and a second compartment. The first compartment has first, second, third and fourth walls. The first and second walls are constructed of radio-reflective material and the third and fourth walls are constructed of a radio-absorptive material. The first compartment has a first storage area. A first RFID antenna array is attached to the first wall and is positioned within the first storage area. The first RFID antenna array includes a first plurality of RFID antennas. A second RFID antenna array is attached to the second wall and is positioned within the first storage area. The second RFID antenna array includes a second plurality of RFID antennas. The first RFID antenna is offset relative to the second RFID antenna such that opposing central axes of the first and second RFID antennas are not colinear.

A high speed tabletop and industrial printer is disclosed with integrated high speed RFID encoding and verification at the same time. The industrial printer simultaneously prints on and electronically encodes/verifies RFID labels, tags, and/or stickers attached to a continuous web. The industrial printer comprises a lighted sensor array for indexing the printing to the RFID tags; and a cutter powered from the industrial printer for cutting the web that the RFID tags are disposed on. The industrial printer comprises two RFID reader/writers that are individually controlled. Specifically, one of the RFID reader/writers comprises the ability to electronically encode the RFID tags while the web is moving; and the second RFID reader/writer uses an additional RFID module and antenna on the printer for verifying the data encoded to the RFID tags.

A reader device for attachment to a smart device comprising a display, the reader comprising an antenna, processing and reading circuitry, and a communications module, wherein the antenna, the processing and reading circuitry, the processor and the communications module are coupled to each other, and whereby the antenna encloses said display. When a card is tapped on the display, the antenna receives a signal and transmits the signal to the processing and reading circuitry. The processing and reading circuitry processes the signal to produce data, and the produced data is transmitted to a device external to the reader device by the communications module.

A cable antenna an end part of which is connected to an oscillator that supplies a high-frequency current is disclosed. The cable antenna includes: an inner conductor; an insulating layer covering the inner conductor; and an outer conductor covering the insulating layer, wherein only one exposed part is formed in a middle part of the cable antenna in a longitudinal direction, the exposed part formed by removing at least the outer conductor, a distance L between a tip end of the cable antenna and an end of the exposed part on a side closer to the tip end is an odd multiple of a quarter of a wavelength λ of the high-frequency current, the multiplier being three or greater, and a length G of the exposed part in the longitudinal direction satisfies the following formula (1):

$\lambda /20\le \text{G}\text{<}\lambda /4\mathrm{...}$

λ: wavelength (mm) of the high-frequency current.