RF-BASED EMPTY / OCCUPIED STATUS DETECTION WHEELCHAIR AND STRETCHER PRODUCT TRACKING SYSTEM

Abstract

The invention relates to a tracking system for the real-time monitoring and management of wheelchairs, stretchers, patient transport equipment, and other portable medical equipment used in hospitals, healthcare facilities, rehabilitation centers, and similar establishments. In current systems, portable medical equipment can only be tracked physically, with no real-time location information or determination of equipment usage status (empty / full, active / passive); this leads to equipment losses, time loss, and operational inefficiencies. This invention has been developed to solve these problems. The system consists of tracking units mounted on the equipment, detection and communication modules, central management software, a database, and user access interfaces. Location, usage status, and movement information obtained from the equipment are collected and analyzed in real time in a central system. The invention provides an efficient, reliable, and sustainable solution for the management of portable medical equipment by determining the equipment's location as well as its empty or occupied usage status, active or passive operating status, recording its usage history, and operating with low maintenance requirements thanks to passive monitoring technology that does not require batteries.

Description

RF-BASED EMPTY / FULL STATUS DETECTION WHEELCHAIR AND STRETCHER PRODUCT TRACKING SYSTEM Technical Field of the Invention This invention is used in hospital automation systems, medical equipment management systems, and real-time applications. Remote positioning technologies (RTLS), wireless communication systems, and the Internet of Things. It is related to IoT; portable medical equipment used in healthcare facilities. Intelligent tracking for centralized monitoring of locations and usage scenarios. It relates to their systems. State of the Art Wheelchairs, stretchers and similar equipment used in existing hospitals and healthcare facilities. Tracking portable medical equipment is mostly done manually or with batteries. This is carried out using active monitoring systems that require it. These systems are generally only It can provide location information of the equipment, usage status, accessibility information and It is inadequate in terms of centralized management. In addition, existing systems involve battery replacement, maintenance needs, and high operating costs. This creates significant disadvantages. This situation leads to equipment loss and search efforts. leading to extended lead times, unnecessary equipment purchases, and operational inefficiencies. This is the reason. Purpose of the Invention The purpose of this invention is to provide facilities such as hospitals, healthcare institutions, rehabilitation centers, and similar establishments. enabling real-time monitoring of portable medical equipment in use, Using maintenance-free passive tracking technology, it monitors the location and usage of equipment. an intelligent equipment tracking system that centrally manages its status and accessibility It is about developing. Description of the Invention The invention essentially consists of the following components:  Monitoring Unit  Sensing Unit  Communication Infrastructure  Centralized Management Software  Database  Mobile Application 35  Web Management Interface  Reporting and Alarm Module 1 Monitoring Unit The tracking unit is integrated into each portable medical equipment and provides an identification number unique to the equipment. It is a passive tracking module that carries this information. The monitoring unit is created using passive sensor technology that does not require batteries. It can operate for a long time without requiring maintenance. Monitoring unit;  Unique equipment identifier  Passive electronic tag  Passive sensor structure  Communication interface It consists of its components. Sensing Unit The detection unit is placed at appropriate points within the healthcare facility and is separate from the monitoring units. It is the module that detects incoming data and transmits it to the central system. Sensing unit;  RF, RFID, BLE, NFC or similar communication module  Data communication interface  Power unit It consists of its components. Communication Infrastructure The communication infrastructure enables data communication between monitoring units and the central management system. It provides. System;  RFID  NFC  BLE  Wi-Fi  Ethernet  ZigBee  LoRa  UWB or capable of working with similar wired or wireless communication technologies It has been designed. 2 Sensor Groups To determine the usage status of the system equipment;  Weight sensors  Pressure sensors • Seating sensors • Motion sensors  Vibration sensors  Magnetic sensors  Optical sensors It is designed to work with It is also modular, allowing for the integration of different sensor technologies into the system. It has a structure. Centralized Management Software Central management software analyzes data from sensing units in real time. by presenting it to the user. Through software;  Real-time equipment location tracking  Empty / Full status monitoring  Active / Passive usage analysis  Movement history records  Usage intensity analysis  Statistical reporting  Alarm and notification management  Remote access from mobile devices  Authorization procedures  Web-based administration is being carried out. How the System Works Equipment identification information generated by monitoring units and data obtained from sensors. Usage data is collected by sensing units. The information obtained is transmitted to the central management software via the communication infrastructure. is being transferred. Central management software analyzes incoming data to control the equipment;  Current location 35  Last seen location 3  Movement history  Empty or full usage status  Active or passive usage status  Usage period  Accessibility information It identifies and records them. In accordance with the established rules, removing equipment from the designated area for an extended period of time If the system remains inactive or exceeds usage limits, it will automatically shut down. It generates alarms and notifications. Application Methods The system depends on the size of the healthcare facility and the number of pieces of equipment that need to be monitored. It can be installed in different configurations. Example;  Single Sensing Unit – Centralized Management Software  Multiple Sensing Units – Centralized Management Software  Multiple Sensing Units – Mobile Application – Web Management Software The system has a modular structure and additional monitoring units, detection units, and can be added according to needs. It can be easily expanded by adding software modules. 4

Claims

1. Hospitals, healthcare facilities, rehabilitation centers, elderly care centers, and similar establishments. wheelchairs, stretchers, patient transport equipment and other equipment used in the facilities equipment that enables real-time monitoring of portable medical equipment Tracking units placed on it, sensing systems positioned within the healthcare facility units, data communication infrastructure, central management software, and user access consisting of interfaces and equipment location information, physical usage centrally stored status, active / passive work status, and movement information A portable medical equipment tracking system that enables its management.

2. The system, according to Claim 1, is an RFID system containing equipment-specific identification information for the tracking unit. NFC, BLE, passive electronic tags or equivalent identification technologies are among the most important. A system characterized by including only a few individuals.

3. The system is in accordance with Claim 1, and the tracking unit is a passive sensor that does not require a battery or Thanks to its passive electronic identification structure, it allows for changes in the energy source. A system characterized by reduced charging and periodic maintenance requirements.

4. The system, according to Claim 1, provides real-time location information of the equipment for health purposes. through the sensing units and communication infrastructure located within the facility A system characterized by its determination.

5. The system, according to Claim 1, involves the physical use of portable medical equipment. its status; weight sensor, pressure sensor, seat sensor, load sensing sensor, optical sensor, magnetic sensor, proximity sensor or equivalent sensing automatic determination by analyzing data obtained from its components and determining whether the equipment is empty, in patient use, or out of use. a system characterized by its implementation.

6. The system, according to Claim 1, involves the active or passive use of portable medical equipment. the state of; motion, vibration, acceleration, position change, usage time or sensor Software algorithms are developed using time-based analysis results obtained from the data. A system characterized by its determination through means.

7. The system is defined in accordance with Claim 1, and its sensing and communication infrastructure is RFID, NFC, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Wi-Fi, ZigBee, LoRa, Ultra Wideband (UWB), At least one of the following communication technologies: Ethernet or similar wired / wireless communication technology a system characterized by its inclusion.

8. The system, according to Claim 1, is the central management software that tracks the location of the equipment. physical usage status, active / passive status, movement history, usage duration, and It is characterized by processing and recording 35 accessibility data points simultaneously. the system that was used.

9. According to Claim 1, the system is the central management software equipment usage. By analyzing the intensity, frequency of use, duration of use and equipment needs. A system characterized by generating statistical reports on their status. 40 10. According to Claim 1, the system is such that the equipment is outside the predefined safe area. leaving, remaining motionless for the specified period, moving into an unauthorized area, or It generates alarms and notifications when usage limits are exceeded. the characterized system. 4 11. The system is based on Claim 1 and allows users to access it via a web-based administration panel and / or mobile device. real-time location and usage status of equipment through the application, A system characterized by its ability to view activity history and alarm information.

12. According to Claim 1, the system is the hospital information management system, which is the central management software. (Hospital Information System), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Building Management System (BMS) or similar The system is characterized by its ability to exchange data with digital health infrastructures.

13. According to Claim 1, the system analyzes equipment usage data. Determining the number of pieces of equipment needed, optimizing equipment distribution. a decision support module that enables the implementation of resource planning and execution a system characterized by its inclusion.

14. According to Claim 1, the system must be modular and the health facility must be... Depending on its size, additional tracking units, detection units, sensor modules and A system characterized by its ability to be scaled by adding software components.

15. The system, according to Claim 1, contains location data and physical information for portable medical equipment. By evaluating usage status data together, the equipment's utilization can be assessed. density, accessibility level and operational status in real time A system characterized by its determination. Data from sensors located at 16.e is monitored by a monitoring unit or central management software. processing by and the resulting data along with the equipment's location information A system characterized by its correlation and visualization on a central system. 4