RFID ring illumination system for surgical machine

1. A ring illumination system comprising:

an illumination ring integral with a front of a surgical machine, the illumination ring comprising a light refracting layer; and

a printed circuit board located behind and close to the front of the surgical machine, the printed circuit board comprising an RFID reader antenna and a light source; the printed circuit board further comprising a set of openings to allow light from the light source to reach the illumination ring;

wherein light emitted by the light source travels through the illumination ring and is visible from the front of the surgical machine.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a light diffusing layer disposed on the front of the surgical machine.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the printed circuit board is located on a plane generally parallel with the front of the surgical machine.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the face of the illumination ring exposed on the front of the surgical machine is textured.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the light source is a set of light emitting diodes located on a face of the printed circuit board furthest from the front of the surgical machine.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the RFID reader antenna is located on a face of the printed circuit board closest to the front of the surgical machine.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the light refracting layer is a set of prisms.

8. A ring illumination system comprising:

a module having a front face and a back face;

an illumination ring integral with the module and extending from the front face of the module to the back face of the module; and

a printed circuit board located behind and close to the back face of the module, the printed circuit board having an RFID reader antenna and a light source; the printed circuit board further comprising a set of openings to allow light from the light source to reach the back face of the module;

wherein light emitted by the light source travels through the illumination ring and is visible from the front face of the module.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the illumination ring comprises a set of prisms for refracting light emitted from the light source.

10. The system of claim 8 further comprising: a light diffusing layer disposed on the front face of module.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the front face of the module is textured.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein the printed circuit board is located on a plane generally parallel with the front face of the module.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein the light source is a set of light emitting diodes located on a face of the printed circuit board furthest from the back face of the module.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein the RFID reader antenna is located on a face of the printed circuit board closest to the back face of the module.

15. The system of claim 8 wherein the illumination ring diffuses light from the light source.

16. The system of claim 8 wherein the light source is capable of producing at least two different colors of light.

17. A ring illumination system comprising:

a light diffusing layer integral with a front cover of a surgical machine;

a light refracting layer integral with the front cover of the surgical machine, the light refracting layer comprising a set of prisms arranged in a generally circular pattern; and

a printed circuit board located behind, close to, and generally parallel with the front cover of the surgical machine, the printed circuit board comprising an RFID reader antenna located on a face of the printed circuit board closest to the front cover of the surgical machine, the printed circuit board further comprising a set of light emitting diodes located on a face of the printed circuit board furthest from the front cover of the surgical machine, the printed circuit board further comprising a set of openings to allow light from the light emitting diodes to reach the light refracting layer;

wherein the light from the light emitting diodes is refracted by the light refracting layer and is diffused by the light diffusing layer to form a generally circular ring of light visible from the front cover of the surgical machine.