Originally Published PMPN
July 2004
NEWS
Tissue-Tracking Pilot Shows RFID Robustness |
| Tagsys’ Ario SDM tag is shown being incorporated into a test-tube cap. |
Tagsys Inc. (Doylestown, PA) has been engaged in a pilot program to test the efficacy of its Ario SDM (small disk module), a proprietary 13.56-MHz, 8.9-mm-diam tag designed specifically for pharmaceutical and medical applications.
Embedded in the Ario SDM is an electronic chip that contains a unique serial number. Chip memory can be read, modified, and protected. In the case of the pilot, the serial number is linked to a database housing critical information on tissue samples, including patient data and tissue treatments. This information is read from a distance of only a few inches, using a fixed desktop or lightweight handheld reader.
The chip also has an anticollision function that enables the simultaneous reading of several tags. This is extremely useful when searching for a specific sample on a tray of 100 tubes. When placed on a reading station, all tags can be read in less than 3 seconds, while locating the individual targeted tube.
In a major trial that began in June 2003, the Ario SDM tag has been incorporated into test-tube caps and subjected to extremes in temperature. For nearly one year, the test tubes have been immersed in liquid nitrogen (and frequently removed) to test the tags. This was done to determine their resistance to precipitous temperature swings. Working in conjunction with project partner Cybernetix, a robotics and automation specialist company, Tagsys put the new tag to the test at the Cell and Genetic Therapy Center of the Paoli Calmette Institute in Marseilles, France. According to Tagsys, this is the very first medical facility in the world to adopt RFID technology for tracking and tracing biological pathology samples.
This one-year-old pilot project has shown that the Ario SDM is robust enough to withstand liquid nitrogen and a range of extreme temperature variations from 104° to –321°F, all within a matter of a few seconds, reports Tagsys. This technology may improve performance within the cryogenic preservation process. The project’s rollout is expected by year-end.
Tagsys is also working to develop RFID system solutions for pharmaceutical supply-chain applications to combat counterfeiting and diversion. To that end, the Ario SDM tag can be injection-molded into plastic bottle caps, making it invisible and completely undetectable. The firm also argues that RFID can directly impact the bottom line by increasing the speed of certain packaging operations and reducing manual processes.
Copyright ©2004 Pharmaceutical & Medical Packaging News
