Prospective Descriptive Study of RFID Tag Detection Rates based on Various Exploratory Scenarios Aimed at Identifying Optimal Conditions of Use

Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:sec><jats:title>Objective</jats:title><jats:p>The main objective is to evaluate RFID tags detection rates using various exploratory scenarios in order to identify optimal conditions of use. The secondary objective is to evaluate RFID tags detection rates based on a real-life scenario involving a cardiorespiratory resuscitation drug tray used within our institution in order to identify optimal conditions of use.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Background</jats:title><jats:p>The traceability of goods has been a subject of interest for more than a century. Traceability makes it possible to locate goods at every step in the chain from production through to disposal. Just as with other Automatic Identification and Data Capture technologies, radio frequency identification (RFID) is used to increase the traceability of objects.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results</jats:title><jats:p>Seven variables that could influence RFID tags detection rates were evaluated in eight exploratory scenarios. Optimal detection parameters allowing to a 100 % detection rate were identified: a 10-second reading time; a reading distance of 10 cm; parallel orientation of reader-antenna and at least two back and forth readings for a total of 6 sec were required for optimal reading. Detection rates decreased after 100 RFID tags and it were not affected by the shape of the RFID tags. Reader-antenna and RFID tag interferences resulted from aluminum paper or RFID tags that touched one another. RFID tag detection rates obtained per operator were similar. Regarding real-life scenarios, detection rates increased with reading times and a plateau effect was observed after 10 sec. Undetected elements varied and non-detection was almost always related to the proximity of two RFID tags rather than the nature of the items read.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusion</jats:title><jats:p>To our knowledge, this is the first prospective descriptive study that compares RFID tag detection rates based on various exploratory scenarios in order to identify optimal conditions of use. Such results can be used to develop a software application supporting drug replenishing through RFID in the drug use process.</jats:p></jats:sec>