Device Connection Identification Using Sealed Independent Sensors
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing device connection identification systems, such as Bar Code Medication Administration (BCMA) systems, are inconvenient, prone to contamination, and require manual management, leading to medication errors and workarounds, while existing RFID-based systems like U.S. Pat. No. 7,782,202 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,976,508 lack reliability and specificity in detecting connections.
Innovation Solution
A system and method using independent connection sensors that are sealed from the environment, which sense and transmit physical parameters of devices to determine connection states, utilizing sensors and transmitters on each device to identify connections through a computer system, allowing for a simplified workflow and increased reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If handheld barcode readers are used for medication administration verification, then medication errors can be reduced, but device portability and ease of use deteriorate due to manual management requirements and contamination risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical contact-based barcode scanning with a wireless electromagnetic field-based RFID identification system. RFID tags and readers communicate through electromagnetic fields without physical contact, eliminating the need for handheld devices and manual barcode scanning operations, thereby reducing contamination risks while maintaining medication verification accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces RFID tags as intermediary elements attached to medication containers and patients, which mediate the identification process between the medication administration system and the physical objects. This intermediary enables wireless communication and eliminates direct contact between scanning devices and potentially contaminated surfaces
2Reliability
If BCMA systems are implemented to verify medication administration, then medication errors are reduced, but system complexity increases due to integration requirements with hospital IT systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the identification function from complex integrated BCMA systems and implements it as a standalone RFID tagging and detection system. This separation allows the core identification functionality to operate independently with simpler architecture, reducing integration complexity while maintaining medication safety verification capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The RFID system is designed with universal applicability that can interface with multiple different hospital IT systems and medication administration workflows. The standardized RFID communication protocol enables the system to serve multiple functions across different clinical settings without requiring complex custom integrations for each specific hospital infrastructure
3Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If electrical connections are used to detect device connections, then connection detection is straightforward, but direct electrical interaction increases contamination risks and limits applicability to non-electrical connections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes electrical connection-based detection with wireless electromagnetic field-based RFID detection. RFID readers detect tags through electromagnetic fields without establishing electrical connections, thereby eliminating contamination risks associated with direct electrical contact while maintaining simple and reliable connection detection capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces RFID tags as intermediary elements that enable connection detection without direct electrical interaction between devices. The tags are attached to devices and detected by RFID readers through electromagnetic fields, serving as a non-contact intermediary that simplifies connection detection while eliminating contamination risks
Data Source
AI summary
A system, method, and computer program product for identifying device connections in a connection area includes receiving a plurality of physical parameters of a plurality of devices from a plurality of transmission sources in a connection area, wherein the plurality of physical parameters indicates physical states of the plurality of devices. At least one physical connection state is determined between the plurality of devices based on the plurality of physical parameters of the plurality of devices.