A wireless communication module includes an antenna on a first conductive wall among the conductive walls enclosing a closed space; a tag reader connected with the antenna to read an RFID tag in the closed space; and a reflective part having a thin film or plate shape between the first and second conductive walls facing each other. The reflective part partitions the closed space into first and second spaces. The antenna radiates a radio wave that is reflected by the reflective part to become a first reflected wave in the first space. The radio wave also transmits through the reflective part, reflected by the second conductive wall, and transmits through the reflective part to become a second reflected wave in the first space. The position of the reflective part is determined so that the first and second reflected waves are canceled by each other.

A system and method for the supply of a medical storage container that has a required inventory of medical articles. An enclosure is used to isolate, scan, and inventory a tray or other container of medical articles. The container and each of the medical articles stored in the container having a wireless identification device. A probe injects activation energy and receives identification data in the enclosure. A program compares the scanned identification of the tray and the inventory of the tray to the required inventory list for the tray and indicates any differences. Extra articles and expired and recalled articles are identified. Text and graphical data displays of inventory are provided. Selectable periods for expiration of medical articles are also provided.

This disclosure describes techniques for operating an inductive coupling reader. The techniques include operations comprising: applying an excitation frequency to a resonance circuit of the inductive coupling reader; detecting a change to a resonance frequency of the resonance circuit of the inductive coupling reader; and in response to detecting the change to the resonance frequency of the inductive coupling reader, adjusting the excitation frequency being applied to the resonance circuit.

Various aspects of the disclosure generally relate to security for a credit card processing reader. Part of security for a reader is a secure cover having a trace mesh to discourage drilling through the cover. The mesh may be connected to one or more landing areas on the cover. The landing area has electrical pads with trace routing that provides tamper protection for the landing area.

An incontinence detection system monitors an area for moisture events and wirelessly transmits moisture-related information to one or more notification devices. The system has a pad that includes a substrate and one or more sensors supported by the substrate. The sensor(s) emit wireless signals indicative of the moisture-related information. A sensor event communication system forwards the sensor signals to another device, such as a notification device. Portions of the system are included in a patient support apparatus, such as a bed.

A UHF RFID system used in a closed volume comprising: a UHF antenna set including at least one flat UHF antenna, a support for the UHF antenna set, and a first axle holding the support, the UHF antenna set being configured to rotate around a first axis forming an axis of symmetry for the first axle and driven by a first electrical motor, the UHF RFID system being configured for the UHF antenna set to provide a tridimensional scanning coverage around the UHF RFID system and to generate a shifting pattern of UHF intensity peaks within the closed volume.

An incontinence detection system monitors an area for moisture events and wirelessly transmits moisture-related information to one or more notification devices. The system has a pad that includes a substrate and one or more sensors supported by the substrate. The sensor(s) emit wireless signals indicative of the moisture-related information. A sensor event communication system forwards the sensor signals to another device, such as a notification device. Portions of the system are included in a patient support apparatus, such as a bed.

A system for using thin and energy-autonomous backscatter tags and corresponding sensing nodes may operate with 24 GHz backscatter reflectarray tags having low power consumption. A digital beam steering, frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar may be used for detection, localization, identification and communications. The tags may include environmental sensors that are used to modulate backscatter waves for data communications directed to a reader or may digitally modulate the backscatter transmissions without sensor data for independent localization of each tag in a network.

An apparatus that includes a partial power source including a first material and a second material, the partial power source configured to generate, upon contact with a conducting medium, a potential difference between the first material and the second material to provide power to a control device, and generate, using the first material and the second material, a current flow within the conducting medium, the current flow including information encoded based on a variable conductance between the first material and the second material.

The present disclosure includes ingestible devices. In some examples, an ingestible device is presented that includes a framework, a control device secured to the framework, and a partial power source. The partial power source may include a first digestible material secured to the framework and electrically coupled to the control device, and a second digestible material electrically isolated from and dissimilar to the first digestible material, electrically coupled to the control device, and secured to the framework. The partial power source may be configured to provide power to the control device when the first and second digestible materials come in contact with a conductive fluid. The control device, after being provided power by the first and second digestible materials, may be configured to alter conductance between the first and second digestible materials to produce a current signature through the conductive fluid that is detectable by a receiver.