Monitoring people, objects, and information using radio frequency identification

• US 20060006999A1
• Filed: 01/21/2005
• Published: 01/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Vanderbilt University
• Original Assignee: Vanderbilt University
• Inventors: Patel, Neal, Hobby, John, Walczyk, Barbara, Burgess, James III
• Application Number:
  US11/040,496
• Publication Number:
  US 20060006999A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.270
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1113 Local tracking of patients, e.g. in a hospital or private home
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/08 Sensors using Radio Frequency Identification [RFID]
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/00 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

Techniques for monitoring temperature inside refrigerators or heaters and tracking people and/or objects, particularly within a medical setting. For temperature monitoring, temperature readings are obtained using a temperature monitor. The temperature readings are transmitted from a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag to an RFID reader. The temperature readings received by the RFID reader are then monitored as a function of time. For tracking people or objects, RFID tags are attached to the people or objects, a facility is equipped with one or more RFID readers, and activity of the people or objects is monitored.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring the temperature inside a refrigerator or heater, comprising:

obtaining temperature readings from within a refrigerator or heater using a temperature monitor;

transmitting the temperature readings from a (RFID) tag to an RFID reader; and

monitoring the temperature readings received by the RFID reader as a function of time.

2. The method of claim 1, where monitoring comprises recording temperature readings in an electronic log.

3. The method of claim 1, where monitoring comprises continuous monitoring.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a message if a temperature reading is outside a predetermined range.

5. The method of claim 4, where transmitting a message comprises transmitting an alarm.

6. The method of claim 4, where transmitting a message comprises sending a message to an e-mail address.

7. The method of claim 1, where the temperature monitor is integral with the RFID tag.

8. A system comprising:

a temperature monitor in operative relationship with a refrigerator or heater;

a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, the RFID tag configured to obtain and transmit temperature readings from within the refrigerator or heater using the temperature monitor; and

an RFID reader, the RFID reader configured to receive the temperature readings transmitted from the RFID tag and to transmit the temperature readings for monitoring as a function of time.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising an electronic log configured to receive and record the temperature readings from the RFID reader.

10. The system of claim 8, where the RFID reader is configured to transmit the temperature readings for continuous monitoring.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising a messenger configured to transmit a message if a temperature reading is outside a predetermined range.

12. The system of claim 11, where the messenger is configured to transmit an alarm.

13. The method of claim 11, where the messenger is configured to transmit an e-mail message to an e-mail address.

14. The system of claim 8, further comprising a protective covering configured to protect the RFID tag from substances inside the refrigerator or heater through at least partial enclosure.

15. The system of claim 8, where the temperature monitor is integral with the RFID tag.

16. A method for tracking and monitoring a patient and healthcare provider, comprising:

equipping the patient and healthcare provider with radio frequency identification (RFID) tags;

equipping a healthcare facility with a plurality of RFID readers; and

tracking and monitoring the patient and healthcare provider using the RFID tags and RFID readers.

17. The method of claim 16, where the tracking and monitoring comprise continuous bedside verification of the patient.

18. The method of claim 16, where the tracking and monitoring comprise remote monitoring of a location of the patient.

19. The method of claim 18, where the remote monitoring comprises classifying the location of the patient as in-room or out-of-room.

20. The method of claim 16, where the tracking and monitoring comprise monitoring a time the healthcare provider is at a location within the healthcare facility.

21. The method of claim 20, where the location comprises an examining room and further comprising measuring productivity using the time the healthcare provider is within the examining room.

22. The method of claim 16, where the tracking and monitoring comprise monitoring a transit time for the healthcare provider going from one location to another within the healthcare facility.

23. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

equipping supplies and equipment associated with the patient with RFID tags; and

correlating the supplies and equipment with the patient independent of an admitting, discharge, and transfer (ADT) system.

24. A method for tracking and monitoring a visitor within a healthcare facility, comprising:

equipping the visitor with a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag;

identifying an area of the healthcare facility as an unauthorized area to the visitor;

equipping the unauthorized area with an RFID reader; and

triggering an alarm if the RFID reader indicates that the visitor has entered the unauthorized area.

25. The method of claim 24, where different unauthorized areas are identified for different visitors.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising triggering an alarm if the visitor removes the RFID tag.

27. The method of claim 26, the RFID tag being reusable and re-programmable for different visitors.

28. A method for reducing medical error, comprising:

equipping medication with a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag programmed to correspond to a particular patient location;

equipping the patient location with an RFID reader; and

triggering an alarm if the RFID reader detects tagged medication that does not correspond to the patient location.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising tracking and monitoring a patient and healthcare provider using the RFID reader.

30. A method for reducing medical error, comprising:

equipping medical equipment with radio frequency identification (RFID) tags programmed to correspond to a particular procedure;

equipping a location to carry out the procedure with an RFID reader; and

triggering an alarm if the RFID reader detects tagged equipment that does not correspond to the procedure.

31. A method for time and motion analysis, comprising:

equipping a healthcare provider with a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag;

equipping a healthcare facility with a plurality of RFID readers; and

determining an activity rate of the healthcare provider using the RFID tag and RFID readers.

32. The method of claim 31, the activity rate comprising a transit time, speed, a survey of locations visited, or time spent at a particular location.

33. The method of claim 31, further comprising equipping the healthcare facility with video cameras connected to the RFID readers and associating the activity rate with video footage.

34. The method of claim 33, the video cameras being connected to the RFID readers wirelessly.

35. The method of claim 31, further comprising connecting a database to the RFID readers to analyze activity rates.

36. A method of asset tracking and inventory maintenance for healthcare providers, comprising:

continuously monitoring location and identification of medical supplies using radio frequency identification (RFID) tags and readers; and

tracking usage of the medical supplies according to different areas using the RFID tags and readers.

37. The method of claim 36, where continuously monitoring comprises monitoring more than twice per day.

38. The method of claim 36, further comprising calculating transit times for the medical supplies using the RFID tags and readers.

39. The method of claim 36, further comprising determining disease or procedure-specific units of medical supplies based on data from the RFID tags and readers.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising modeling costs based on the data.

41. A method for monitoring medical equipment, comprising:

equipping medical equipment with radio frequency identification (RFID) tags;

equipping a dirty equipment location with a first RFID reader;

equipping a clean equipment location with a second RFID reader; and

monitoring the amount of dirty and clean equipment based on data from the first and second RFID readers.

42. The method of claim 41, further comprising matching materials management personnel with workloads using the data.

43. The method of claim 41, further comprising generating productivity quality reports based on the data.