Infant Warmer RFID Reader Positioning for Automatic Sensor Pairing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current patient monitoring devices, particularly in neonatal care, often require manual pairing of wireless sensors, which is cumbersome and prone to errors due to crowded environments, leading to misassociation of patient data with the wrong infant, causing confusion and delays in care.
Innovation Solution
An infant warming system with integrated RFID readers positioned to ensure each wireless physiological sensor is within range of at least one reader, facilitating automatic pairing through NFC or HF RFID, minimizing overlap and preventing stray reads.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual pairing of wireless sensors is used in crowded neonatal environments, then pairing can be performed, but mispairing errors occur and care efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces RFID readers as intermediary devices positioned between the wireless physiological sensors and the infant warming system. These readers use RFID technology to automatically identify and pair sensors with the correct infants, eliminating manual pairing errors while maintaining high care efficiency through automated sensor identification and association.
2Ease of operation
If RFID readers with sufficient range are positioned to cover the entire platform, then sensor pairing is facilitated, but stray reads from adjacent infants may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions RFID readers at specific locations around the platform perimeter rather than using a single reader with wide coverage. Each reader has a localized coverage zone, creating distinct pairing regions that prevent stray reads from adjacent infants while ensuring complete coverage of the platform area through coordinated reader positions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the platform coverage area into multiple zones, each monitored by a separate RFID reader. This segmentation of the monitoring function into multiple localized readers eliminates the stray read problem that would occur with a single wide-range reader, while still providing comprehensive coverage for automatic sensor pairing.
3Ease of operation
If multiple RFID readers are positioned around the platform, then complete coverage is achieved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the RFID readers to be identical, standardized units that perform the same function across different positions. This universality simplifies system configuration and maintenance, as each reader operates according to the same protocols and can be easily replaced or repositioned without requiring unique configuration for each device, thereby reducing overall system complexity despite having multiple readers.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Ensures accurate and efficient pairing of wireless sensors with the infant warming system, reducing manual intervention and minimizing mispairing, thus enhancing care efficiency in crowded environments.
Implementation Method 1
at least two radio frequency identification (RFID) readers on the infant warming system. The RFID readers are each configured to communicate with the at least one wireless physiological sensor to facilitate pairing therewith
Data Source
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AI summary
An infant warming system includes a bassinet having a platform configured to support an infant, at least one wireless physiological sensor configured to measure a physiological parameter from the infant and transmit physiological parameter data, and at least two radio frequency identification (RFID) readers. The RFID readers are configured to communicate with the at least one wireless physiological sensor to facilitate pairing therewith so as to enable receipt of the physiological parameter data from the wireless physiological sensors at the infant warmer system. The RFID readers each have a range distance that is less than a length of the platform and are positioned such that the wireless physiological sensor is in the range distance of at least one of the at least two RFID readers from any location on the platform.