Medical technology user process and safety assured with RFID

aUV-Concepts develop and manufacture innovative no-touch disinfection solutions using the ultraviolet UV-C germicidal wavelength of 254nm. Their flagship product is the UVE™ UV-C Enclosure—a purpose-built platform for the disinfection of portable medical equipment in hospitals and other healthcare environments.

Because of the risks of exposure to UV light, the RFID reader provides a critical safety layer. Staff is trained in the proper use of the device and only then are they authorised via their RFID badge to operate the equipment. Proper operation is tracked and flagged where additional training may be necessary.

UV-Concepts needed an RFID reader that would support the security and functionality needs of their hospital customers.

A robust, flexible reader technology

UV-Concepts needed to be customisable to provide audible and visual feedback for a better user experience

UV-Concepts needed a reader that would support the security and functionality needs of their hospital customers. The reader had to be able to accommodate customers that used a mix of RFID card technologies at different locations or who changed technologies after implementation. They also needed to support advanced security protocols and encryption to secure confidential information such as employee names and badge numbers.

In addition, it needed to be customisable to provide audible and visual feedback for a better user experience. Finally, it had to be easy to reconfigure to meet emerging security and functionality requirements.

Challenges

• Readers/writers must provide secure and accurate user identification and access control to ensure the safety of their medical disinfecting product.
• Must read all of the card technologies their clients might be using.
• Must be easy to reconfigure for new technologies or functionality.
• Must have a high aesthetic quality consistent with their product design.

An aesthetic suitable for a medical environment

Looks mattered to UV-Concepts, too. Their previous readers were not aesthetically consistent with the high-tech design of the UVE™.

The reader needed to fit the high-tech aesthetic of their product design and look like it belonged in a clean, efficient hospital environment. At the same time, it had to be durable to withstand accidental bumps and compact enough to fit within the form factor of their product.

Solutions

• The ELATEC TWN4 Palon Compact Panel Reader provides reliable user identification and access control suitable for secure applications.
• Compatible with more than 60 card technologies.
• Supports rapid contactless configuration and updates.
• Compact design and attractive, durable polycarbonate housing.

The ELATEC TWN4 Palon Compact Panel Reader provided reliable, secure user identification and access control in an attractive housing that fit right in with their high-end medical device.

Results

• TWN4 Palon Compact Panel Reader provides secure, reliable user identification and access control to help UV-Concept’s customers ensure staff authorisation and safety in the disinfecting of medical equipment.
• Their customers now use the same corporate ID cards that employees use for front door access to enable access to the UVE™ for authorised employees.
• Palon is integrated with the UVE™ digital tagging system and backend software so every time a disinfection cycle runs it is tracked along with who did it, when they did it, and what they did it on.

TWN4 Palon compact panel reader

The TWN4 Palon Compact Panel Reader met all their requirements in a reader that brings together robust, flexible software architecture with an attractive, durable panel display suitable for high-end equipment.

The Palon is configurable for 60+ RFID card transponder technologies, maximising their market opportunities and helping them better serve customers using multiple technologies. With its flexible architecture and open API, the Palon can be easily reconfigured to activate new card technologies or upgrade firmware through remote reconfiguration or a contactless upgrade card.