Terrebonne Deploys Temperature-Tracking Tags

Newbury's AT320 active tags measure 2.5 inches by 1.6 inches by 0.8 inch, says Brian Wangerian, the company's VP of business development, and beacon every 15 seconds at 2.4 GHz to existing access points that the hospital had previously installed in order to provide network access to laptop computers within the building. The access points transmit the data to the location manager, which then routes that information into the ActiveAsset software on the TGMC-hosted server. The ActiveAsset software determines the asset's identity, and also captures the temperature reading. If the temperature passes that machine's high or low threshold, the software then sends an alert to the hospital operator, who routes it to the appropriate department—such as the pharmacy, the cafeteria or engineering, in the case of a refrigerator requiring maintenance.

The tag is attached inside the cooler or heater, on or near the back wall, where it is less sensitive to occasional temperature fluctuations caused by opened doors. The tag captures the temperature, then transmits that data through the container wall. This is problematic only at the walk-in cooler, Sardella notes, where the cooler's thick metal reinforcement makes it more difficult for transmissions to be received by the existing access points. To resolve that problem, Wangerian says, Newbury plans either to create a tag with a sensor probe, thereby allowing the tag to be attached outside the cooler and the temperature sensor inside, or add an additional access point that is installed closer to the cooler.

Once the tag is installed, Terrebonne's staff signs into the ActiveAsset software, inputs the refrigerator tag's ID number and configures temperature rules and other identifying data related to that cooler or heater. Altogether, the hospital intends to install tags within 57 refrigerators, 34 freezers, 15 blanket warmers and 16 fluid warmers.

The data can then be accessed by staff members, as well as by Joint Commission representatives visiting the hospital. "It's exactly what we were looking for," Sardella states. "Our next step will be to tag IV pumps," he notes, of which there are approximately 300 at present. These devices, he says, will use the same active Newbury Wi-Fi tags for this asset-tracking function, and will be able to track the pumps on the same ActiveAsset software. The assets' locations will appear on floor maps of the facility, which Sardella says the hospital is creating itself and providing for use with the software.