On-body RFID tag design for human monitoring applications

The technological advancement of radio frequency identification (RFID) systems over the last decade has made them attractive for various applications including logistics and inventory tracking. In particular, RFID devices can make a significant contribution in the health care sector. An RFID system can provide an efficient approach for patient management in hospitals including identification, patient monitoring and drug delivery units tracking. One of the most popular ways for patient identification in hospitals is the use of a bar code printed wrist band. Due to the non line-of sight operation, larger read range and ability to store more information, RFID tags serve as a possible replacement to bar codes [1]. Body matched tags (suspended patch-type) have been proposed for realtime bio-monitoring and localization of patients [2]. Tooth-attached RFID tags [3] and implantable RFID chips [4] have been reported for storing patient information and tracking location.