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When Medtronic, Inc. (headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, is a leading medical technology company in the world, dedicated to providing life-long treatment options for patients with chronic diseases) the experiment of the Electronic System Design Department (ESD) When room director Carl Closmore considered using technology to locate 2,600 electronic tools in the three subordinate laboratories, he visited other companies that also needed to manage a large number of tools, hoping to learn how they could solve this problem. However, he found that other laboratories have similar problems-often need to visually find the location of the tools, such as looking around the engineer’s workstation and file stack, and sending bulk emails for help. It usually takes several weeks to locate the tools that need calibration or repair, and even then, there is no guarantee that every tool will be found. This is a common problem faced by many laboratories. Closmore said that the inability to effectively locate equipment is time-consuming, but also affects efficiency and discourages the enthusiasm of staff.”
Therefore, with the help of AbeTech, an automatic identification system integrator, Closmore began to design a set of RFID solutions for tracking laboratory tools, knowing when the equipment left the laboratory and the person in charge. This solution uses AbeTech’s handsets, fixed RFID readers and software and has been implemented for three years, Closmore said. During this period, the system saved thousands of hours of the original search for lost devices. Recently, another independent department of Medtronic has partially adopted this program (only handhelds are used), and other departments are also planning to implement this program.
Medtronic’s medical technology and equipment are world-renowned. The three ESD laboratories employ 38 technicians and 47 engineers to design and test all implantable cardiac pacing systems and defibrillators developed by the company. The three laboratories have more than 100 workbenches distributed in 15,000 square feet of space. Not only do technicians and engineers need to know the location of equipment-such as handheld meters, analyzers and oscilloscopes, but Closmore also needs to find 150 tools that need to be calibrated every month. Closmore initially considered using a barcode scheme or a manual tool library (storing unused work for technicians and engineers to use), however, these two methods still require manpower and time to register the removal of tools and find lost items.
The staff pushes a cart full of labeling equipment past the RFID gate
Closmore finally chose EPC Gen 2 passive UHF tags and installed ThingMagic Mercury fixed readers at the entrances and exits of the three laboratories. At each entrance and exit, a reader is connected to four antennas, two of which are installed on the wall near the ceiling at the main entrance of the entrance, and two are installed on the wall near the ceiling inside the door. Closmore also installed motion detectors and cameras above the door, and all equipment was wired to the AbeTech software (integrated into the Medtronic back-end management system). AbeTech software manages the data of RFID readers, motion detectors and cameras, and compiles the information so that staff can view the relevant data in the Medtronic database. The laboratory is also equipped with several Symbol MC9090R6 handheld readers with Geiger counter function. When approaching a specific RFID tag, the reader sends a beep at a higher frequency, so that Closmore can easily locate the tool needed for calibration.
Instruments with Confidex EPC Gen 2 passive RFID tags
Every month, Closmore turns on the handheld reader-connected to Medtronic’s existing management software Wi-Fi to obtain a list of equipment that needs calibration, testing or repair. The handset starts to read nearby RFID tags. When it detects that the tag ID code matches a number in the list, the device emits a beep. When Closmore picked up the labeled device, he pressed the prompt that popped up on the handset to confirm, and the device was then removed from the list. If the reader detects multiple devices nearby, the staff must select one by one on the display of the handset and put the devices in the cart (send to the company’s metrology department-responsible for calibration and maintenance of test tools). When all the equipment has been positioned, the system will automatically upgrade to indicate that all required equipment has been retrieved.
When the cart is pushed towards the exit of the laboratory, the motion detector on the gate detects the approach of the person. The reader reads the unique ID code of each tag, and the AbeTech software instructs the camera to take pictures of the cart crew. If the cart then passes through the exit, the four antennas determine the direction of the tag (in this example, the device leaves the laboratory) and send this information to the software. In this way, the software not only stores detailed tool removal records, but also saves pictures of the corresponding personnel.
If the worker brings a tool close to the door, but fails to pass the door, the motion detector will also instruct the AbeTech software to take a photo. However, if the second set of antennas on the other side of the door does not detect the tag, the system judges that the device has not taken it away, and does not save the picture.
When the equipment returns from the metrology department, it passes through the door reader again, and the software upgrade indicates that all equipment has returned to the laboratory.
Employees can use software to determine whether a piece of equipment is in one of the laboratories. If so, the counter function of the handheld can be used to locate the location of the equipment.
According to the size of the device, the labels used by devices of different sizes and shapes are different. The smallest label is Confidex’s Steelwave Micro metal label, the size of which is equivalent to a slice of Trident gum. One of the challenges faced by this system application is the accuracy of reading. Due to aesthetic considerations, the antenna is not installed on the wall at the same height as the cart, but close to the ceiling. Closmore explained that the tag reading distance is 3-4 feet, and the current gate reading rate is about 93%.
Before adopting the RFID system, Closmore estimated that it would take 40 man-hours to search for tools that require calibration or repair each month, but now it only takes 2-3 hours on average. Previously, it took days or weeks to locate the tools leaving the laboratory, but now it only takes 20 minutes or less. The software, hardware and installation of the system cost a total of $100,000, which is clearly worthwhile, Closmore said.
Recently, Medtronic’s Department of Clinical Neurology and Environmental Health and Safety will also use the handheld part of this system to locate and label equipment.
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