RFID wristbands to make medication easier

MUMBAI, INDIA: Bartronics America Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bartronics India Limited, has come up with a patented wristband, based on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), for automating patient medication process.

Nurses can automate the process of administering patient medication with the help of the first-of-its-kind wristband, which had clinical trial at the Halifax Health Medical Center, involving cancer patients.

The trial saw 95 per cent of the patients finding the device easy to use. They were better able to control the pain rather than relying on nurses to provide the pills.

Almost 84 per cent nurses said it saved them time.

During the programming process, the data on a patient's oral medication prescription dosage and frequency is entered.

Nurses carry an RFID-based personal identification card. In response to reading the card, the body of the Medication-on-Demand (MOD) device allows the nurse to remove an empty pill tray or insert a full one. When the patient holds the wristband up to the device, he selects the number on a sliding dial to indicate the pain level, on a scale of 1 to 10, prompting the MOD to dispense pain medication.

Bartronics provides the wristbands based on a design that integrates an RFID inlay antenna into the wristband's clasp.

The only way to remove the wristband is to cut it open, breaking the linkage between the inlay's antenna and its RFID chip.

This ensures that if a patient removes the wristband, no one else can use it to access the pain medication.

"Besides healthcare, the company's focus on the leisure and entertainment space, the transportation sector and the education sector offer a $2 billion opportunity for Bartronics in the coming years," said Sudhir Rao, managing director, Bartronics India Limited.

Bartronics America Inc. expects to generate over $40 million revenue for the financial year 2008-09.