Design of Concept for Transport and Monitoring of Biological Samples Using RFID Technology

Abstract

This paper deals with implementation of RFID technology as a tool for monitoring transport of biological samples. The purpose of the article is to point out the possibilities of readability of RFID tags, which serve as a flag of transported biological samples that go to laboratory examinations. The work points to the design of a comprehensive solution for the implementation of RFID technology in healthcare. The first part consists of defining the basic components of tags, test tubes, middleware and antennas. Then, the principle of scanning and assigning the EPC code to the samples is briefly described. Subsequently, a range of hypotheses was established, and initial experiments focused on the readability of samples were carried out. Measurements of groups of ten test tubes placed in and outside the transport boxes were then performed. In the second stage of the experiments, the test tubes were filled with blood simulating liquid, and the same measurements were made at an antenna gate shift from 0.5 to 1 m. Such a system could eliminate the shortcomings that nowadays arise from incorrect barcode reading. The implementation of a new modern identification method, which would be compatible with the trend being launched within the Slovak Republic in the e-Health project aimed at the digitization of healthcare, also represents a significant contribution.