Finnish psychiatric ward uses RFID alarm system to enhance personnel safety
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Finland’s Tampere University of Technology (TUT University) has developed a low-latency wireless sensor network, which is currently being used to improve the safety of personnel in the psychiatric ward of Kainuu Central Hospital in Kajaani City. The network was designed by TUT University. At the request of the hospital, the wireless alarm application and low-latency network were deployed in the spring and summer of 2009.
According to the designer, this network has multi-reflection, low-latency data transmission capabilities, and the tag’s battery is also energy-efficient and efficient. Depending on the degree of use, it can last about one to two years. The network equipment runs on the 2.4 GHz frequency band and uses a dedicated data transmission and wireless communication protocol developed by TUT University. The designer reported that this protocol optimizes the operation and makes the operation solid and reliable.
This system includes battery-powered tags and routers that receive signals from these tags. These routers form a wireless multi-reflection network, forward the label data to the gateway, and then transmit the information to the system server. All hardware (including standard existing components such as microcontrollers and radio chips) are developed by TUT University.
Ville Kaseva, a researcher at TUT University, pointed out that sensors can be added to network equipment so that various parameters can be measured and monitored through the network.
Kaseva explained: “Under normal circumstances, the establishment of wireless sensor networks can save energy for all network devices. When using this system, the router is plugged into a power source and is activated almost all the time. It can be carried out through a variety of wireless reflections. Fast data transfer.”
In Kainuu Central Hospital, staff are using this network and specially designed tags, if they have a dangerous situation in the ward, they can send out an alarm to notify the administrator. This palm-sized, battery-powered tag contains a button that employees can press when assistance is needed to cause the tag to send out an alarm signal with a unique serial number (identifying the tag holder). The signal of this device is transmitted to all nearby routers for reliable positioning. Indoors, the range of a device can reach up to 25 meters. The network in the hospital covers an area of 1,300 square meters, and includes 50 static devices, used as routers or gateways, and 12 mobile tags, used as alarm devices.
The battery-powered label contains a button that employees can press for help
Since the location of the router and the gateway are fixed, the system can calculate the location of the tag by measuring the length of the signal, and then trigger an alarm, so that within a few seconds, the manager can know the location of the employee who needs help. The signal sent by the tag is time stamped to indicate to the manager the exact time when the alarm was triggered. This alert message is displayed on the interface of the third-party user. In addition to designing the hardware of the system, TUT University researchers have also developed embedded network software, server software, alarm sending interface and positioning algorithms.
In addition to the above deployment at Kainuu Central Hospital, the researchers said they have conducted more than 20 pilot projects in various other applications, including environmental measurement, building automation, transportation and logistics. This mobile tag has a built-in accelerometer and can be shared with other sensors. Currently, the sensors used for testing include measuring humidity, measuring voltage, measuring sound waves and airflow. Motion detectors (piezoelectric and passive infrared) are also in use.
TUT University developed the largest network in 2008, covering several buildings, using 350 sensor nodes as routers and measurable tags.
These nodes measure various building automation conditions through motion detectors, such as temperature, brightness, humidity, carbon dioxide, and activity in the room.
According to Kaseva, the main benefit of the network is that it can continuously monitor the location of employees, selected metrics, short-term delays, data transmission, reliable operation, and low interference. The transmission power of this system is only 1 milliwatt. The transmission power of the router in the Wi-Fi network is 100 milliwatts. In addition, the system is easy to install and expandable, and new equipment can be added where needed.
This fall, at the request of Tampere Hospital, Kaseva and his colleagues plan to test temperature-sensing tags on patients to continuously and remotely monitor the patient’s location and body temperature.
Kaseva said: “We are working with the hospital’s research team to determine which other physiological parameters need to be measured and how.”
TUT University has created a subsidiary, Wirepas Co., Ltd., which is selling this technology. The company has launched two versions of the system for personnel and asset management, as well as a system for monitoring buildings.
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