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RFID Tags Can Interfere With Medical Devices
An anonymous reader writes "A new study suggests RFID systems can cause 'potentially hazardous incidents in medical devices.' (Here is the JAMA study's abstract.) Among other things, electrical interference changed breathing machines' ventilation rates and caused syringe pumps to stop. Some hospitals have already begun using RFID tags to track a wide variety of medical devices, but the new finding suggests the systems may have unintended consequences."
Hi All
I work as a Biomed Technologist, so this is in my direct field of work.
Really, RFID tags will not be a problem in hospitals unless multiple failures are already present. Of more concern is hand held radio's security sometimes use (we've had a vent restart from those). ALL medical devices have EM shielding, and it's usually in things like lead wires (for an ECG for example) that will have cracked shielding that might be a problem. Most wireless technology now is either in the MHZ range (1 HZ might be a problem... >100kHZ is really a non-problem for interference), and they often use frequency spreading so no one frequency has that many watts of EM.
It's really the people are are always concern with liability that will take notice of this. From a practical point of view it's not a problem at all.
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It was the same with mobile phones - in almost all circumstances they made absolutely no difference, since practically all devices are properly shielded. But we kept the "Switch off your fuckin phone" signs up because it was just plain annoying when patients (especially teenage females) are forever texting and chatting when you're trying to explain a procedure to them.
OTOH I think RFID tags and many other technological 'enhancements' are thrust upon the medical industry by IT reps and accepted by hospital committees without answering the fundamental questions: Does it save money, will it help patients, will it make our jobs easier?
Most of the time the devices don't do any of the three.
Do it yourself, because no one else will do it yourself. [beta blockade 10-17 Feb]
if you read the link you will see that they tested both passive and active tags and the passive tags scored a higher problem score.
the implication from the limited text is that they were using the same reader (although this is not confirmed) but the difference in tags did change the issue rate, so the tags do share part of the problem.
In the coming years most of the containers for drugs could have RFID tags. California is pushing through a new law (E-Pedigree Law http://www.pharmacy.ca.gov/about/e_pedigree_laws.shtml) that creates a chain of custody for any drug. RFID has been one of the recommended technologies to help manufactures and everyone else in the supply-chain to deal with this law.
Having boxes with hundreds of RFID tags rolling down the hallways of a hospital doesn't seem so safe now!
If the devices carry a CE mark(which would be required to sell in the EU), they had EMC testing done on them.
The basic EMC standard for medical devices is EN 60601-1-2. For radiated interference, it requires testing from 80 to 2500 MHz - 3 V/m for non-lifesupporting equipment and 10 V/m for lifesupporting equipment. This is a 1 kHz AM modulated signal.
There are further requirements for implantable devices and some other life supporting equipment. EN 45502 has magnetic field requirements, and AAMI PC69 covers cell phone frequencies with a pulsed test.
There is at present no requirement to test at the specific frequencies that may be used for RFID and the like, and no requirement to use a modulation similar to what they employ.