RFID tags (Radio Frequency Identification) are used to track assets using a radio signal which can be received and used to determine the exact location of the asset to which they are attached.  Modern developments have now made it possible for RFID tags to be much smaller and even more effective in their tracking function while the cost has also dramatically dropped.  This allows FRID tags to be used in ever more situations and the medical field is a perfect example of how RFID tags can be used to track multiple assets and provide enhanced security and identification protection.

Medications, specimens, laboratory samples and even patients can now be tracked – and tracking time sensitive assets, such as an organ for transplantation, or a patient who needs to be continuously monitored, say someone suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease, is now practical and cost effective.

RFID tags also possess the ability to contain information, including patient data, but also information on dates of manufacture, application, dosage and warning information.  RFID tags also provide the ultimate level of authentication; many medicines used in developing countries are in fact counterfeited by unscrupulous criminals looking to make huge sums of money which many drugs command on the market.  An RFID tag is almost impossible for counterfeiters to replicate, so the presence of such a tag is a good indicator that the medicines are in fact genuine.

RFID tags come in two main forms: a short-range tag, known as an HF tag (High Frequency), and UHF tag (Ultra High Frequency) with a longer scanning range.  HF tags are suitable for use in tracking medical samples and specimens such as blood and tissue samples because they work effectively in proximity to liquids and human samples.  UHF tags are affected by close proximity to liquids and can be affected by close proximity to tissue samples (the human body is primarily made up of water), and it is also important for proper “tuning” of UHF tags in a medical environment because they are also affected by proximity to metals and radiation (some things which are commonly found in hospitals and medical laboratories).

RFID tags being used for patient tracking has caused some controversy in terms of the invasion of patient privacy, however, where patients are at risk to themselves, such as those suffering from dementia or temporary mental incapacity, they are invaluable for securing identification and monitoring patient status.  Certainly, one use of RFID tags appears to have gained the seal of approval from patients when used to track newborn infants – there can be no doubt that the baby you take home from the hospital is the child which you gave birth to with no possibility of hospital mix-ups!

Patient safety can also be significantly enhanced using RFID tags; for instance, when you need to locate a crash cart (a defibrillator) for a patient in cardiac arrest, you need to find it fast.  RFID tags provide the ability to accurately and quickly pinpoint the location of the cart which can be brought into action much faster for patient assistance.

In terms of hospital administration, RFID tags help to automate inventory management and reduce the administration costs of managing a broad range of sometimes, extremely expensive items, many of which are used as commodity stock items but which are in fact, extremely expensive.  Simple scalpels for instance, are a commonly used item in hospitals and medical institutions, however they are very costly and need to be tracked and managed effectively to avoid wasting money.  RFID tags open the door to significant cost savings by ensuring all instruments and equipment are accounted for at the end of an operation or medical procedure.

Asset Labels Tracking the War on Terror

In 2003, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) instituted an asset tracking program in order to track DoD property under the control of external contractors.  This arose amidst claims of of contractors misappropriating assets, employing wasteful practices and generally charging exorbitant sums for work which should not have been charged.  Some readers may recall the issues associated with $200 hammers or thousand dollar toilet seats which plagued NASA, and in the realm of defense spending, there were many instances of inappropriate billing by contractors which was met by the extremely large budget of the Dod and ultimately, the taxpayer was footing the bill.

The Unique Identification program (UID) ensures that government property and assets are all marked by a special asset tag – the individual asset is allocated an Individual UID (known as the IUID – the military are renowned for their use of acronyms) and this in turn produces a Unique Identification Identifier (UII).  All equipment delivered to the DoD by an external supplier must bear a UII which comes in the form of a 2D matrix (a barcode), and this in turn feeds into the billing program of the external contractor which must be managed and presented in a format which meets DoD standards.

With the “War on Terror” commencing in 2003, the DoD is taking delivery of equipment throughout the sphere of operations as well as its main logistics deployment establishment established in Richmond, VA.  There are numerous problems associated with ensuring that equipment is delivered and gets to where it is needed most, especially for those operations involving combat and security duty in high risk areas such as Afghanistan.  At the same time, while the focus is on combat and operational effectiveness, it is very difficult to effectively manage equipment and supplies which are delivered direct into the sphere of operations by external contractors.  When you are getting shot at, you are less likely to be concerned with accounting for equipment!

The UII tags remove the need for such intensive management by personnel in the field, and simplifies the entire tracking and inventory management process.  The program has already resulted in savings worth several billions of dollars in the 6 years which it has been in operation, and has also been used as the  basis for billing adjustments with external contractors who otherwise would have billed for equipment and supplies not delivered as well as reversing overcharges.

One application of the UID program has seen enormous savings in the area of containerization.  The  DoD is the largest customer for cargo containers in the Middle East area with enormous amounts of cargo being transported and stored at a variety of ports and externally managed supply centers prior to onward transportation to the “front”.  Cargo containers are extremely expensive pieces of kit, and they are not in fact owned by the DoD – the containerization system relies upon them being leased or rented (typically for a $2,000 per week).  These containers are spread around a huge geographical area, greater than the size of the U.S., and in a large number of disparate locations.  It is vital to track them and establish which are in use and which are nt being used – by ensuring that idle use is minimized, and advising the owner of non-use, significant savings have been incurred by not paying for containers which are in fact, sitting idle in the owners depot or are still on the lease book but in fact, are not being employed.

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Medical ID tags, no matter what form they take, are looked for as part of standard practice by emergency responders and medical personnel.  By alerting doctors and first responders to conditions such as allergy sensitivity, blood group and medications being taken, much time can be saved and there is no doubt that lives have been saved because of the information contained on such identification tags.

Medical identification tags are suitable for many more people than those with an allergy or a condition such as diabetes, in fact there are many more instances where medical personnel need to be alerted and can be easily enough.

If a patient has any of the following, a medical identification tag will assist in identifying both the patient and more importantly, the condition which they suffer from:

• Alzheimer’s Disease
• Atrial Fibrillation
• Diabetes (type 1 and 2)
• Angina
• Low Blood Pressure
• Arrhythmias
• Pacemakers
• Surgical issues e.g. heart surgery, cancer treatment
• Transplant
• Epilepsy
• Medicine Use (especially where multiple prescriptions are being taken)
• High Blood Pressure
• Benign Intracranial Hypertension
• Hypertension
• Low Blood Pressure
• Allergy information

Once a medical responder understands you suffer from a set of conditions or are taking a particular type of medication, treatment options can be much more rapidly assessed.  Vitally, avoiding some treatment regimes is essential for certain types of patient – if a patient is recovering or taking medication as a consequence of a heart condition, then certain standard drugs for pain control must be avoided or else there is serious risk to life.

Medical identification tags are also becoming more “intelligent” – the obvious development with tags was to include patient identifiers such as name, address and next of kin, but with advances in technology, a new generation of smart tags are under development.  Using microchips, much more information can be stored and indeed, there is no practical or theoretical limit to the amount of information which can be stored in this way.

Imagine a scenario where an unconscious individual is admitted to an ER facility, and while the patient is as yet unknown, the medical identification tag contains a chip which holds a copy of the patient’s medical records.  By using the appropriate reader, medical responders can access the entire medical history of the individual including such ancillary information as insurance coverage so they know the bill will be settled prior to treatment being provided!  It has not been unknown for essential treatment to be withheld or delivered after considerable delay while such administrative issues have waited to be resolved – cold comfort to you if you are the patient in this instance.

Development of medical identification tags is flowing into other identification and tracking areas.  RFID technology for instance, has been used for some time to track moveable assets, but the application to people has been discouraged in many instances because of the threat to civil liberties. So far, application has been restricted to those prisoners who are sentenced to house arrest but there are obvious medical applications for those who suffer from dementia for instance.

One thing is clear, the days of a simple metal tag with a blood group imprinted upon it have become numbered – the days of the smart medical tag are almost upon us.

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You can simply and easily control your parking slots and who uses them by making sure they have an easily displayed and customized parking tag so no mistakes can be made.

Implementing parking control is not difficult though it is certainly not top of anyone’s agenda unless the issue has become blown out of all proportion.  Thankfully, it does not have to be a major chore and here is a simple to follow, seven step process to resolve the problem.

Step One – Choose the Tag Product

You have three main choices available – a custom hang tag (parking hang tags hang off the rearview mirror), a bumper sticker or rearview mirror decal and finally, an inside window sticker.

No matter which you choose, it should be durable and easily identifiable; hanging tags are simple but some users don’t like something dangling from the rearview mirror but they are secure and cannot easily be interfered with.  A rearview mirror decal does the job simply as does an inside mirror sticker.

One tip is to use whichever product you choose in a uniform manner so everyone has the permit displayed in the same location which helps avoids mishaps with the tow company.

Step Two – Choose Your Design

A simple design is best but do not forget to add your company logo!

You are looking for a design which is simple but stands out easily enough from outside or some distance from the vehicle -  you are not looking to add to the aesthetics of the vehicle itself (that is someone else’s property remember), but it needs to be easily identifiable and visible.

Step Three – Ink Color

Choose the ink color and steer clear of multiple colors – a strong color and white are excellent but avoid jazzy, psychedelic combinations – it’s going on someone’s car and a customer or employee in an expensive vehicle may not take kindly to something they consider “trashy” or tacky being stuck on their vehicle.

Step Four – Text Addition

Use a font that is clear and readily readable – Arial or Times Roman for instance – again nothing jazzy or fancy.

What you are looking to add is simple; “Parking Permit” and date of expiry may be all you need but if you wish to control not just the drivers but also the vehicles parking in your space, you can add the license tag number to the permit as well.

It is simple to use a barcode which can be added to the tag and is easily scanned by whoever is responsible for controlling your parking spaces and lot access – a barcode also removes any privacy issues because there is no need for names, expiry dates or any information to be on display and a barcode needs a scanner to read the information.

Summary

It is a simple step to control access to your lot and your commercial property; parking in certain areas is at a premium and needs to be controlled and regulated to ensure the even flow of your business.  Staff need to be able to park easily and get into work without the hassle while how many of your customers are not going to be impressed if they turn up at your premises but have to find parking several blocks away.

A parking permit is easily created and forms part of a manageable parking control policy which will ensure the smooth operation of your business without demanding attention out of all proportion to handling this straight forward situation.

Mark Trumper, President of MaverickLabel.com, online source for custom stickers.

Photo credit:cafemama

A barcode is an optical machine readable representation of information that originally used simple parallel lines with the width of the lines and spacing in between determining the information being carried.  A rapid development was the introduction of other geometric shapes (triangles, squares, rectangles and other polygonals) to represent data and these are also known as barcodes.

A barcode costs a fraction of a cent (approximately $0.005) to produce and implement which competes very well with more recent systems such as RFID tags which are capable of greater functionality (such as real time tracking of inventory) however, they do cost substantially more (around $0.07 to $0.30 per tag).

Today barcodes are used to carry much more detailed information for users and the information is also now capable of being read by the product’s end user as an aid to the selection and usage of the purchase.  Barcode readers are equally simple and cheap to operate and many retail outlets are providing customers with handheld readers for self-scanning of their purchases and also to provide the customer with greater information that is tailored to the marketing aims of the retailers rather than the manufacturer.

The universal applicability and cost effectiveness will ensure that the barcode will remain with us for many years to come and no doubt its life expectancy will continue to be extended as the simplicity lends itself to greater application in the technology led world.

New Year is just around the corner and we are getting ready for welcoming 2009 in and waving goodbye to 2008 as it heads for the history books.

This last year has seen a range of developments in technology which have massively broadened the application of tagging and carrying information – this is after all what the point of a tag is – to carry information.

I expect to see greater application of RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) technology with labeling and not just in security functions to protect goods from shop lifters but also in delivering information to consumers.  Already, there are several test programs for carrying RFID tags on food products so the customer can use a scanner provided by the store not only to automatically add the item to the bill but give the buyer a history of where the food is from, who grew or produced it, when it was made and what went into it and a host of other good stuff.  This is not so far fetched as you may think and they are already introducing this technology in the UK with leading grocery store, Sainsbury’s.

I’m also going to predict a dramatic increase in the application of biometric tagging in both identification and security functions.  Biometrics have still to achieve their full potential and there is the money in the market for it – the government is throwing huge sums not just at biometric development but in furthering the application of reliable technology.  There is just too much money being invested for this to fall flat on its face.

What else takes my fancy?

I think that there will be some of the first integrated scanning technology delivered for use in cell phones – in fact, I’ll confess, I know this is going to happen as a friend of mine writes cell phone reviews and Visa has been teaming up with several handset manufacturers so a cell phone will also be able to scan intelligent tags and act as a money payment device.  Still in its infancy but the Europeans are stepping up the momentum here and I expect we’ll catch up with them on this sooner rather than later.

That’s all from me for 2009, drive safe if you are going out to party and enjoy the holidays and we’ll see you all next year

RFID has far more constructive uses than just making sure a crook sticks to a curfew. RFID tags are used to track containers and shipments even down to the individual parcel in certain cases, but the technology has recently been enjoying new application.

Wells Fargo has the job of tracking thousands of laptops from hundreds of locations and knowing when one can leave a location and who ought to have possession of it has been a security nightmare.  Using RFID, each laptop has been implanted with a tag which has upon it the information necessary to automatically detect whether it can in fact leave their offices and in who’s possession it ought to be.  More than this, in the event of a lost or stolen laptop, RFID can be employed to track the location of the device in order to recover it.

Though the concept behind RFID is simple, the technology required is in fact extremely complex.  In this instance, complex technology does mean high cost for individual readers and tags and the price tag for most RFID solutions is beyond the budget of individual customers when insurance and ensuring back-up procedures are so much more cost effective.  An RFID kit from Tiktag will probably cost in the region of $190 yet insuring the laptop against loss of theft will cost a fraction of that amount.

RFID technology is not limited to tracking assets and determining the location of missing items for big companies with car tracking technology having been around for over a decade and the benefit certainly outweighs the cost in such instances.  When it comes to smaller, portable devices such as laptops, smart phones and personal items the cost effective technology for RFID tagging for personal use is still some distance away.

Article provided by MaverickLabel.com, a good source for custom property ID labels & RIFD labels.

More dogs and cats are lost in winter than at any other time of the year so it becomes doubly important that they are properly tagged and identifiable.  If your pet carries an identification tag, the chances of being reunited with your pet quadruple while inserting a microchip further increases the probability of Fido or Frisky making it back home after wandering off.

Microchipping involves the painless injection of a small microchip device usually under the skin of the scruff of the neck.  Once inserted, a scanner can be used to collect the information contained on the chip which will include the owners information as well as the pet’s name and any medical or behavioral issues.

Tagging or microchipping your pet may also be a legal requirement depending on where you live.  Some states require a tag and for those that do not, county or municipal bylaws may impose an obligation upon the owners.  In addition. indoor pets should also be tagged and/or microchipped; the reasoning that as the pet lives indoors they cannot get lost is fallcious and indeed, if an indoor pet does find themself in the great outdoors, there is a need to recover the pet that much sooner.

Whichever method you use for identification, you are relying on simple human behavior when it comes to getting your pet home; human nature being what it is, there is an automatic reaction to check the collar of a potential stray and agencies who come across a stray will automatically scan the neck of your pet to check if they have been microchipped as part of their standard procedures.  In either instance, in the event of a tag or microchip not being present your pet will probably end up transported many miles away to a central pound where the chances of finding them start to significantly drop.

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If you are a student you may be carry so many things with you everyday from class to class. There is always a possibility that you are going to leave something behind. By having some ID or address labels custom made you can assure that people will know the items are yours. They will know where to contact you and this will ensure a quick return. You can have them plain or have a design on them. You can choose a color you like the best.

If you run an office, you can create labels with the name of your business on them. This will ensure that items stay where they belong. You can also have a barcode placed on your stickers. This will assist in the yearly equipment check, the process will go much quicker and not to mention much smoother. If an item is missing you can easily tell what it is by the missing barcode number.

Even if you are an athlete you can use these labels for your sports bag and equipment. With all the games or tournaments you will be attending, it is a good idea to leave your items marked. Especially since, as you already know, your bags get thrown in the locker room and then are left there during the game. Then you call come back and everything gets thrown out of the way in celebration of your big win. These tags will help determine your team shirt from your team mate’s.

Everyone needs to send out mail at some point, and you are no exception. A great time saver that everyone should enjoy is custom made address labels. You can have just about anything on them with today’s technology. Your favorite cartoon character, the initial of your last name or a nice design: you name it and it is yours. They can be clear, so there appears to be no background or you can have them made in a color of your choice. If you are using address labels for your business you want them to look professional. You can consider placing your company logo on the address label.

Whatever the purpose of the label, you should use them. Your personal items will be marked with your contact information if they are ever misplaced. Your office equipment will remain where it is supposed to, and will be ease to locate if not. Then, lastly, your mailing will take you a fraction of the time it took before with the use of mailing labels.

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Now depending on what type of property you are placing an asset tag upon will determine what material you want to use when choosing a property label – and there are many materials to choose from.

Label Styles

Asset tags are made of various types of materials. One is polyester – 2 mil –metalized matte silver with permanent adhesive or the polyester – 2 mil -gloss white. This material is heat resistant, as well as abrasion, tearing, and stretch resistant. This type of asset tag is used for placing a label on a lap top, desk top computer, office furniture or other office items, and cell phones to let their identity known to others. Not only is this type of asset tag material good in the office but it is also good for industrial related machinery due to the fact that it does well under heat and a lot of physical stress.

Security Asset Tags

If security is your purpose for searching out asset tags, then the security polyester-2 mil-silver permanent tag is your best choice. It is tamper resistant and provides a mirror finish with the word “VOID” on it when the label has been removed. Not only does the word just show up on the remaining bit of label, but it also remains on the property as well with its unique adhesive design. Once this type of label has been removed it cannot be replaced. A new label must be created and replaced on the property.

Asset tags are a great way to protect your property, keep inventory of what you have with the scanning features that many labels allow as you would see in many department stores. Perhaps you have a large movie or a large CD collection and you want to be sure that your property stays your property. Adding a label each case and scanning it into a computer will help you to keep track of what you have and what you don’t.

You can order various types of asset tags online. One popular website is Maverick Label. Ordering from this website is fairly easy and not very expensive. It’s a great way to obtain the labels you will need to protect and ID your items.

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Wearing diabetes bracelets is advisable not only when traveling in different areas of the world but also when one is around the home area. This should identify one and the condition just in case one gets hurt or becomes unconscious. The situation does not even have to happen in remote areas for this identification tag to be of help.

It is a known fact that when one is having a hypyglycemic event, usually he is irritable and uncooperative and may not answer questions asked of him by paramedics who are ready to help. Besides, the symptoms of hypoglycemia sometimes mimic those of a drunk and people may not want to help thinking it serves the person right for consuming more alcohol than he can handle.

This is one reason why diabetes bracelets or other medical identification products can help to make sure that proper treatment is made available in an emergency situation. No one should travel without some kind of personal identification labels.

There is also a new product in the form of a keychain which can hold four glucose tablets. This is especially designed for type 1 diabetics who drive. In an emergency situation as in a hypoglycemic episode, one can just take the glycemic tablets to treat hypoglycemia. In fifteen minutes one can feel as good as new. If not, call for help right away.

There are other identification tags that will do the job of diabetes bracelets. There are decals with the words “Diabetic Driver” on them that can be affixed on the inside of the windshield. This will alert the police or any paramedics that may happen to come to the car to provide help.

There are also wristbands that come in a variety of colors for both adults and children that have the word “Diabetic” embossed on each plus the caduceus which is the medical symbol. I don’t know where to get them yet but visit the resource below from time to time as it will be there as soon as the information is available.

Sometimes children, especially boys will not want to wear this kind of jewelry. There is something available for them and it is in the form of a tag that can be tied up in the sneakers. This way when he exercises without considering the schedule of his meals and insulin dose, then he is covered when an emergency arises.

This identification tag or other medical ID’s also come in the form of a charm in 14 kt gold or in sterling silver for different sports, each one with the caduceus symbol. There also other types called Beaded Daisy which are easy to wear and 100% waterproof.

Some diabetes bracelets and necklaces can have this text written on them: I HAVE DIABETES PLEASE TEST MY BLOOD BEFORE TREATING ME. Isn’t that neat? Now there will be no excuse for making mistakes that could be fatal.

So, don’t forget to put some form of diabetes bracelets or medical id’s in the tool box because this will identify one when he gets hurt in an accident or injured in some other way especially when he becomes unconscious. There is no excuse for not wearing one as they come in different colors and sizes. There are even some designer ones, too.

Please visit these sites for more diabetes help:

Diabetes Bracelets and Sign Up for our Free Newsletter

Hypoglycemia Symptoms

Brief Biography: Dr. Guzman worked for the Atlantic Health Corporation and was consultant to St. Joseph’s Hospital, Sussex Mental Health Clinic, and St. Stephen Mental Health Clinic for many years. He was Director of Forensic Psychiatry at Centracare for ten years and published numerous articles in the Journal of the American College of Forensic Psychiatry and other medical magazines.