Ryosuke Hosaka

Experimental trial to detect medical engineering equipments in hospital by passive UHF RFID tag

A sort of medical engineering equipment like infusion pump and syringe driver are not enough in hospital at all times. Most of the equipments are kept in nurse station at ward to cope with unexpected medical trouble. The number of the equipments are over 40 at large scaled medical institution like a university hospital. The missed equipments are danger because the equipments can not be maintained periodically. Location of the equipments have to be discovered to maintain safety level of patient environment. Authors propose new system to detect the equipments in hospital by passive UHF RFID tag. In this paper, fundamental characteristics of the system are estimated.

Automatic identification for surgical instruments using UHF band passive RFID

Post-operation vestigial remnant of surgical instruments is a very serious problem in the operating room. The current two-dimensional symbol system is being used to help manage this problem. However, the two-dimensional symbols of this system have to be identified one at a time, since the symbols are a sort of printed matter. An HF band passive RFID system was also proposed to help manage surgical instruments. This system also had problems in identifying the signals of a large number of surgical instruments in bulk, since the scope of its identification area as a detection area was relatively small. To improve the deficiencies of this system, a UHF band passive RFID system was developed to identify the signals of all the surgical instruments, since its identification efficiency was far better than that of the HF band RFID system. From the results of our experiment using 100 surgical instruments, all the instruments were identified in approx. 15 seconds with this new RFID system. The electrical field intensity was also kept at a low, safe level, maintaining the working integrity of any electronic device within the operating room. These results are very promising and indicate that the proposed RFID system will be an improvement to the surgical instrument management systems currently being used. This new system will also undoubtedly reduce the workload of surgical nurses, while reducing human error in the operating room.

Development of Identification System for Surgical Instruments Using UHF Band RFID and Low-Intensity Antennae

Post-op vestigial remnant of surgical instruments in the body is a very serious problem. The current two-dimensional symbol system is being used to help manage this problem. However, the two-dimensional symbols have to be identified one at a time, since the symbols are a sort of printed matter. An HF band passive RFID system was also proposed. This system also had problems in identifying the signals of a large number of surgical instruments in bulk, since the scope of its identification area was relatively small. To improve the deficiencies of this system, a UHF band passive RFID system was developed. The authors have also proposed a new low-intensity antennae for the UHF band passive RFID system. This new system cannot radiate an electrical field strong enough to interfere with medical equipment and should not pose a problem to any electronic equipment in the operating room. From our experimental results using 50 surgical instruments, all the instruments were identified in less than one second with this new RFID system, even when the instruments were covered with water residue. These results are very promising and indicate that the proposed RFID system will be an improvement to the surgical instrument management systems currently being used. This new system will also undoubtedly reduce the workload of surgical nurses, while reducing human error in the operating room.

An Analysis of Suitable Specification of RFID Tag for Realization in Medical Environment

Most of medical accidents around patients are depended on misidentification of human or medical articles. The accidents can be reduced, if information about the human or medical articles are managed automatically. RFID(Radio Frequency IDentification) tag can be identified automatically, since the tag uses wireless communication for identification. It is effective media to reduce the medical accidents. However, a specification of medical use RFID tag as a communication media was not discussed. In this study, the problem for realization of the tag and suitable specification of the tag are discussed. Anti metal tag is useful for medical environment. Small identification distance of the tag can be improved by suitable design of Q in the tag circuit. In the case of 125 kHz, confliction between another wireless communications can be reduced, since small number of communications are located in the band. The tag circuit can be made small in size to choice 2.45GHz band. In Japan, 0.4mm square sized tag is realized. The tag can be included in each tablets or capsules. Automatically identification is recommended in most of medical environment. Most of RFID tags are small in size and weight, and will not disturb the daily life of the patient, even if it is attached to the wristband or and so on. However, it is necessary to discuss the principal factors of RFID as wireless communication media. Medical use RFID system can not be effective and safety management system without the discussion.

Development of Mobile Phone Type Universal Human Interface Device for Medical Information System

Mobile phone type human interface device is developed as a trial production. The proposed device is designed for all medical staff like a universal design. Shape of the device is similar to mobile phone. The device is constructed by some switches and PIC computer. PIC computer is used to translate key codes. The ID information is described in ROM in the device circuit. The device can be connected to PC by USB interface. In the device, several small switches are located under the ten-key for mobile phone. The operator is able to input some characters like as a mobile phone. The character input operation by this device is easy for all medical staff, since number of key of the device is less than 20. Key assignment of optional functions can be changed to similar to one’s private use mobile phone. Adaptation to several type of mobile phone is possible to adjust the control program of translation. Input data are translated to suitable type code that is similar keyboard code by PIC computer. The small sized PIC computer is put into the device. By using the device, user identification is completed when the USB connector plug in. The device designed for windows plug and play system. A system like HIS, can detect the operator name and properties using the ID information in the device. Weight of the new device is approx. 80 g. It is handy enough to use in medical environment. If the USB connector is prepared near the terminal, easy operation like a mobile phone is provided to all medical staff like nurse and doctor. It is easy to realize the system, since most of present HIS terminal have several USB connectors. Its cost can be estimated approx. 15 – 20 US

An Estimation for Availability of Battery less LF Band RFID Tag to Identify Patients in Operation Room from Viewpoint of Engineering.

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Feasibility study of convenient automatic identification system of medical articles using LF-band RFID in hospital

Nowadays, medical accidents increase in Japanese patient environment. Especially, misidentification of the patients occurred in operation room of higher level hospitals. It is considered that the great deals of accidents are due to mistakes by nurse. However, the accidents are prevented by management of patients. If a suitable patient identification system is developed, the accidents are prevented. In this study, new patient identification system using battery less LF band RFID(Radio Frequency Identification) is proposed. In the method, battery less RFID tag is attached to patient. In operation room, patient is identified before operation using the proposed system. However, identification distance of RFID is small. It is important that extension of the distance. In this study, antennas of RFID tag and sensor are designed. Two types of tag are proposed. One of them is set on wristband. An antenna for the tag is designed as a circular shape with 30mm in diameter. The other one is shaped like a necklace. The antenna is also designed 220mm, 240mm and 260mm in diameter. Using necklace type new antenna, sufficient identification distance for detection of the tag in the operation room is realized. The patient identification is realized using the proposed system