Versus Technology, Inc.

Other

Hall T Snowday, Iii

Henry J Tenarvitz

Gary T Gaisser

Edward T Schmitt

A context-aware method and system for facilitating the delivery of healthcare to patients within a clinical environment monitored by real-time locating apparatus including auto-ID patient tags where patients having tags are located within the environment in real time by the apparatus are provided. The system includes a plurality of self-service units where one or more of the units is configured to store a plurality of auto-ID patient tags and where the one or more of the units includes a dispensing mechanism to dispense stored tags. The system further includes a control computer subsystem coupled to the at least one of the units and including at least one user interface. The subsystem still further includes a processor operable to execute software instructions and a memory operable to store software instructions accessible by the processor. The subsystem still further includes a set of software instructions stored in the memory to at least partially perform the steps of: identifying an incoming patient; assigning a stored auto-ID patient tag to the identified patient to obtain a tag assignment; transmitting a signal over a communication channel to an electronic medical record subsystem to link the tag assignment to a medical record of the patient whereby the patient becomes a linked patient; and controlling the dispensing mechanism to dispense a stored tag to the linked patient.

Context-aware method and system for facilitating the delivery of healthcare to patients within a clinical environment monitored by real-time locating apparatus

An electronic band tag includes a plurality of conductive wires supported within a band of material wherein each of the wires provide either an open circuit or a closed circuit to form a coded pattern of open and closed circuits. After an electrical discontinuity has been formed in at least one of the wires, the coded pattern of the wires is converted into a unique tag ID. The band tag utilizes both the radio frequency (RF) and infrared (IR) parts of the electromagnetic spectrum to enable a system including multiple tags to locate subjects (i.e. objects and persons) within a tracking environment. Each band tag includes a battery-operated, microprocessor-based electronic circuit for each subject to be located. Each band tag automatically transmits digitized infrared light signals to provide a fine determination of its subject's location. Each band tag transmits RF and IR signals upon actuation of a page request/alert push button switch on its electronic circuit. An RF signal is also generated at a timed interval as a 'heartbeat' pulse. This pulse informs a host computer that the band tag is both present and fully functional. The IR and RF signals are modulated or encoded with the unique tag, identification data, page request or alert notification data, and battery condition data. The band tags are particularly useful in hospital systems which determine and monitor the location of patients and/or critical equipment.

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Traverse City, MI, United States of America

Hall T Snowday, Iii