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Study: RFID technology to improve patient safety during anaesthesia

A recent study evaluates the EMI risk posed by low-power, handheld UHF RFID technology that is used as part of a research project at Auckland City Hospital (ACH) and the University of Auckland’s Advanced Clinical Skills Centre (ACSC) on improving patient safety during anaesthesia.10 RFID readers are placed at various locations around theatre, including close to infusion pumps, ventilators, and other electronic medical devices.
It was therefore considered prudent to replicate one of the serious device failures reported previous studies, in order to to evaluate the EMI risk posed by low-power RFID readers and whether further study was warranted.
Read the full article: "Interference with the operation of medical devices resulting from the use of radio frequency identification technology"; by Bryan Houliston, David Parry, Craig S Webster, Alan F Merry.

Read the full editorial of the New Zealand Medical Journal.

806-960 MHz band replanning

A review of the non-cellular usage of the 806-960 MHz band of radio spectrum has been summarised in a discussion document that proposes changes to some spectrum allocations in the band.
Communications and Information Technology Minister Steven Joyce has released a discussion paper seeking input into a proposed reallocation of radio spectrum in the 806-960 MHz band.
Read the full story here.

European Commission Issues RFID Privacy Recommendations

May 13, 2009—Industry and consumer organizations around Europe welcomed an official "recommendation on the implementation of privacy and data protection principles in applications supported by radio-frequency identification." Issued this week by the European Commission (EC), the document outlines data privacy objectives suggested for use in the organization's 27 member states.The recommendations will assure that that everyone involved in the design or operation of RFID-technology respects the individual's fundamental right to privacy and data protection, contained in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.

The document, which spells out ways to protect consumers but also allows for flexibility, should help promote greater implementation of RFID technology.
Download the recommendations document here.

Tracient technology used in major Italian fashion RFID-project

New Zealand company Tracient provided it's technology for an important study, carried out by the University of Parma's RFID Lab and backed by major European garment manufacturers. Tracient Technologies provided its Padl-R UHF RFID handheld RFID to perform manual tag reads.
Read the full article in RFID Journal.

Times-7 innovation key to airport baggage handling success

Specialist RFID technology company, Times-7, continues to cement its position as a leading provider of innovative RFID technology for use in some of the world's biggest and busiest airports.

A partnership with Danish company Lyngsoe Systems saw Times-7 RFID antenna technology used in two of their high-profile RFID integration projects in 2008 - Milan's Malpensa Airport, and Lisbon Airport.

Malpensa Airport was significant both in terms of the scale and scope of the project. Malpensa is Italy's busiest international airport, handling over 24 million passengers a year. It is also the first airport in Europe, and only the 3rd globally, to introduce comprehensive RFID baggage tracking across the entire baggage handling system from baggage check-in onwards.