RFID chips that can even be sterilized

The entire spectrum of sensors is still a big subject for many providers. The product market “Hightech for Medical Devices”, hosted by the IVAM Association for Microtechnology with 45 international participants, offers a particularly large selection. FEIG ELECTRONIC, for example, presents RFID reader solutions for the healthcare industry to identify medical devices and accessories that depict the consumption of medication and reagents, thus improving patient care and safety. RFID allows the implementation of accurate tracking solutions for medical devices as well as for individual processes within medical treatment. This relieves hospitals of numerous administrative and inspection tasks and enables them to use the resources that have been freed for even more intensive patient care. RFID-based inventory systems monitor the current stock of various materials used in hospitals and laboratories: Medication and reagents, blood and plasma bags, surgical instruments, textiles and many more. Additionally, RFID systems ensure accurate patient identification, monitor the respective treatment status and enable warning systems to improve the entire process chain. “RFID registers all relevant information in real time, without employees having to enter data into a computer by hand. This frees up more time for medical and patient care,” confirms Ellie Lee, Manager OR Information Management Services at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto. FEIG develops and manufactures the entire range of RFID components, not just for medical technological devices, but for optimizing hospital processes as well.


As microsensys also shows, the possible applications of RFID technology are versatile and each solution is subject to its own material and technology requirements. Especially for medical and pharmaceutical applications, there are a large number of guidelines that must be complied with. At COMPAMED, microsensys shows state-of-the-art RFID medical technology solutions and debut their RFID sensor data logger for seamlessly monitoring temperature during steam sterilization in autoclaves at +134°C and 3 bar. The company has had the patented mic3 technology since the mid-1990s. This technology realized the world’s smallest RFID transponder with an integrated coil on the chip with a size of approx. 1.5 cubic millimeters. With storage capacities of 64 bit read only to 64 Kbit read/write and temperature resistance of minus 45°C to plus 200°C, the mic3 transponders have sufficient storage capacities and high reliability.

Association Viewpoints Homepage