Like all technology, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) continues to advance, and at the forefront of this progress are thought leaders like participants in the RAIN RFID Alliance.
The RAIN RFID Alliance is a global group of companies committed to working together to harness the power of ultra-high-frequency (UHF) RFID as a tool that advances the Internet of Things (IoT) and promotes the good of users by collecting and tracking important data.
RAIN RFID is a technology based on a UHF RFID protocol standard developed by GS1 and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). It and partner Impinj are at the heart of Intelliguard® RFID Solutions.
Partners in RAIN: Intelliguard® RFID and Impinj
Impinj, the company that makes the microchips inside Intelliguard® RFID Solutions tags and readers is a founding member of RAIN and MEPS Real-Time, Inc. is a charter member (#8 to be exact) with our Intelliguard® RFID Solutions. Thus, the two companies have been working together since RAIN was first launched in 2014.
It is important to note that in addition to being the name for an alliance, RAIN is also used interchangeably to refer to UHF RFID technology in general.
“At MEPS, our passion is medication error prevention systems, and our mission is to improve the quality of patient care. We see RAIN as an integral part of that equation. RAIN is changing the way pharmaceutical distribution processes are managed,” said Paul Elizondo, the Vice President of Research and Development for MEPS Real-Time, Inc. and the current chairman of the RAIN Alliance healthcare workgroup.
Advantages of Intelliguard® RFID with Impinj
Sixteen years ago, ISO set out to establish the standards for worldwide RFID frequencies, and Chris Diorio, the CEO of Impinj wrote the RFID protocol that set the UHF standard widely used today. “Impinj designs the highest performing ICs (integrated circuits) for both readers and tags, and is a technology leader in RAIN, which is why we chose them for Intelliguard® RFID Solutions,” said Elizondo.
Wendy Werblin, Product Lead, Healthcare Solutions for Impinj added, “The Impinj Platform is the most comprehensive and widely adopted platform in the industry, providing real-time information about people and objects, including their identity, location, and authenticity, and this allows companies to improve business decisions and enhance consumer experiences.”
The ability to make decisions quickly becomes especially important in the realm of healthcare, where a single decision can result in a life saved or lost.
Not All RFID is Created Equal: The Enhanced Performance of Intelliguard® RFID with Impinj Inside
Along with high performing readers and tags, RFID systems require an antenna. MEPS is at the forefront of creating the highest quality, most effective RFID antenna systems for healthcare applications. Elizondo said,
“At MEPS, we design our own patented and exclusive antenna systems, which gives us complete quality control. ‘Off the shelf’ RAIN antenna systems cannot support the unique challenges of managing pharmaceutical inventory comprised of hundreds of RFID tagged items in small non-resonant enclosures. If you use standard antennas inside non-resonant enclosures, you wouldn’t have the accuracy and precision that is required to consistently and reliability identify large numbers of RFID tagged medication items.”
In addition to building custom antennas ideal for healthcare needs, Intelliguard®RFID Solutions employ the smallest proven RFID tag to support large volumes of small vials in crowded drawers to be read quickly, easily and most importantly — accurately. “The synergy between our antenna systems and Impinj readers creates a robust and reliable system for repeatedly identifying large numbers of RAIN tags on medications,” said Elizondo.
>> See Bigger Isn’t Always Better for RFID Tags
Creating a Competitive Advantage for Customers
MEPS Real-Time, Inc. clients (now numbering more than 300 hospitals in North America) enjoy a wealth of benefits resulting from the dynamic duo of Intelliguard® RFID Solutions featuring Impinj RAIN technology inside.
Some of these benefits include:
- Solutions singularly designed to meet the unique needs of hospital and healthcare pharmaceutical inventory challenges
- Increased speed and unprecedented accuracy in reading, tracking and locating drugs
- Significant time and cost savings throughout the drug management and distribution process
- Access to the highest quality RAIN technology on the market
“MEPS proprietary antennas, healthcare expertise, and suite of RAIN-enabled solutions combined with Impinj RAIN technology ensures we’re providing our customers with the highest level of performance possible for speed, accuracy and reliability critical in the healthcare inventory where patient safety is at risk,” said Elizondo.
Experience the Intelliguard® Difference at Your Hospital
Research has shown that hospitals that use RFID to automate, validate and manage drug inventories reduce the risk of human error from their drug management processes and increase patient safety.
Learn more about how RFID is being used in healthcare, RAIN and how it can benefit your hospital pharmacy at our website. Learn more about Impinj at www.impinj.com.
Contact us to learn more.
