Passive RFID Chip Powered by Data Collection Engine for Medical Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Medical facilities face challenges in accurately tracking and managing medical devices and consumables due to the lack of efficient systems for monitoring sterilization status, inventory management, and preventing errors such as using unsterilized instruments or incorrect patient procedures, particularly in environments where active RFID tags are not feasible.
Innovation Solution
A system incorporating passive RFID tags powered by a Data Collection Engine (DCE) that wirelessly transmits power and communicates with a server to track medical items, including sterilization status, inventory, and patient/professional identification, using a network connection for data storage and retrieval, and employing machine learning to predict potential errors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If passive RFID tags are used on medical items, then cost and weight are reduced, but power source is required to passively obtain information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a power transmission subsystem as an intermediary device that wirelessly transmits power to passive RFID tags. This mediator enables the RFID tags to function without internal power sources by receiving energy through electromagnetic fields from the power transmission subsystem, thus resolving the contradiction between weight reduction and power requirement.
2Use of energy by moving object
If active RFID tags are used on medical items, then information can be transmitted without external power, but cost and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using active RFID tags with internal power sources, the patent employs passive RFID tags combined with an external power transmission subsystem as the intermediary. This approach achieves self-powered transmission capability while avoiding the weight and cost penalties of active tags, as the power source is externalized rather than integrated into the tag itself.
3Loss of information
If RFID tags are placed on medical items to track position and usage, then monitoring capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses passive RFID tags as intermediaries that can be easily attached to medical items without integrating complex electronics. The tags themselves remain simple, and the complexity is managed at the system level through the power transmission subsystem and data collection engine, which handle the sophisticated power delivery and data processing functions externally.
Solution Approach 2:
The passive RFID tags perform their identification and positioning functions autonomously by harvesting power from the electromagnetic fields generated during interrogation. This self-service capability eliminates the need for battery management, power regulation, and other complex power-related components, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining tracking capability.
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
The system effectively monitors and manages medical items, reducing errors by ensuring proper sterilization, accurate inventory, and timely access to necessary equipment, thereby enhancing patient safety and operational efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a power transmission subsystem including a power source and an antenna arranged to wirelessly transmit power to a passive-type RFID chip
Implementation Method 2
A Radio-frequency Identification (RFID) chip can transmit information to a reader in response to an interrogation signal or polling request from the reader
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes a plurality of RFID chips affixed to a medical item, a data collection engine device, and a server device. The data collection engine wirelessly transmits power to a first one of the RFID chips and receives first medical data from the first RFID chip while the first RFID chip is activated by the power receiver. The data collection engine generates a first message indicative of the first medical data to be sent to the server device. The server device can determine aspects of the medical item based upon the first medical data.