Self-powered (mantenance-free) wireless asset-tracking and monitoring system for hospitals, healthcare and logistics
Lead Participant:
LIGHTRICITY LIMITED
Abstract
As evidenced in the Covid-19 pandemic, it is crucial that nurses and doctors' time is productively spent on patient care rather than wasted on finding missing equipment such as pumps, ventilators, beds, wheelchairs, blood pressure and ECG monitors. Studies have shown that medical staff can spend up to two hours-per-work shift searching for equipment. Multiple industry sources estimate that between 10% and 20% of hospital inventory is stolen or lost each year.
Current solutions for tracking of assets in hospitals are based on battery-operated RFID or Bluetooth technologies. Such Real-Time Location System (RTLS) can show equipment location data. However, they suffer a large total Cost-of-Ownership (due to limited device lifetime and significant maintenance required), a lack of device interoperability and modularity (no possibility to easily upgrade the system).
There is thus still reluctance within healthcare to deploy asset tracking solutions, despite the potential to save both money and lives. Installation expenses can indeed be high if the solution is not compatible with the hospital's already-existing network infrastructure and regulations. Operational costs will be also prohibitive if medical staff have to replace batteries in thousands of IoT devices.
In this project, Lightricity (Oxford-based SME, spun-out from SHARP Labs) will focus on reducing overall cost-of-ownership by developing a completely autonomous (self-powered with indoor Photovoltaic cells) and modular wireless hardware solution for asset tracking and monitoring. Lightricity will demonstrate a standards-based systems which can support interoperability features with existing IoT cloud software and network infrastructures.
The objectives of this project will be focussed on the development of 2 key demonstrators:
* A prototype of self-powered indoor asset tracking device with general purpose real-time tracking capability.
* An advanced self-powered indoor wireless monitoring device for detection of asset movements and monitoring of sensitive equipment.
In the future, the developed technology will also find applicability in patient monitoring and tracing for the fight of spreading infections in hospitals and care-homes, transportation, and supply-chain management (logistics and retail).
Current solutions for tracking of assets in hospitals are based on battery-operated RFID or Bluetooth technologies. Such Real-Time Location System (RTLS) can show equipment location data. However, they suffer a large total Cost-of-Ownership (due to limited device lifetime and significant maintenance required), a lack of device interoperability and modularity (no possibility to easily upgrade the system).
There is thus still reluctance within healthcare to deploy asset tracking solutions, despite the potential to save both money and lives. Installation expenses can indeed be high if the solution is not compatible with the hospital's already-existing network infrastructure and regulations. Operational costs will be also prohibitive if medical staff have to replace batteries in thousands of IoT devices.
In this project, Lightricity (Oxford-based SME, spun-out from SHARP Labs) will focus on reducing overall cost-of-ownership by developing a completely autonomous (self-powered with indoor Photovoltaic cells) and modular wireless hardware solution for asset tracking and monitoring. Lightricity will demonstrate a standards-based systems which can support interoperability features with existing IoT cloud software and network infrastructures.
The objectives of this project will be focussed on the development of 2 key demonstrators:
* A prototype of self-powered indoor asset tracking device with general purpose real-time tracking capability.
* An advanced self-powered indoor wireless monitoring device for detection of asset movements and monitoring of sensitive equipment.
In the future, the developed technology will also find applicability in patient monitoring and tracing for the fight of spreading infections in hospitals and care-homes, transportation, and supply-chain management (logistics and retail).
Lead Participant | Project Cost | Grant Offer |
|---|---|---|
| LIGHTRICITY LIMITED | £50,000 | £ 50,000 |
People |
ORCID iD |
| Matthias Kauer (Project Manager) |