Design and Validation of a Wi-Fi Based Active RFID System for Hospital Equipment Management

Abstract

The Medical Equipment Information and Management System (SIGEM-UV), developed by the School of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Valparaíso, seeks to improve the management of medical equipment through various tools and systems. Among these, the LocDEM module stands out, focusing on the active location of medical equipment using WiFi TAG technology. This project addresses the problem of locating medical equipment in healthcare facilities, which interferes with workflow, is time-consuming, and, in some cases, leads to equipment theft. Although commercial solutions exist, they require specific infrastructure, presenting a significant barrier to entry. The SIGEM-UV WiFi TAG project proposes a solution that utilizes existing WiFi infrastructure, minimizing additional costs. A location system was developed based on a microcontroller connected to a web server with an intuitive user interface. This device, with a smaller footprint and improved autonomy, collects data from nearby WiFi networks and sends it to the server, where it is processed to determine the location of the equipment. The user interface allows the location to be displayed on a building map, facilitating rapid equipment identification. The main results demonstrate the feasibility of the design and its implementation, as well as the appropriate levels of localization efficiency for hospital environments. This system presents a viable and low-cost alternative for the management and localization of medical equipment in healthcare institutions.