Wouldn’t it be great to know the inventory you have on hand before any procedure?

Creating an application that describes your physical inventory in the Cath Lab is now a reality. Up to date information from a reader that is synced up with a central database can be valuable in checking out of control items.

Using Radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags on each item provides you a way to get automatic identification of product information in real time. The RFID tags store information and transponders remotely retrieve data.
A transponder is a wireless communications, monitoring, or control device that picks up and automatically responds to an incoming signal.

Utilizing radio frequency waves, a RFID tag that is applied to a product will notify you of the location and identification via the transponder.

UHF Passive RFID can be read from several meters away and beyond the line of sight of the reader, so it saves valuable time in locating critical items.

Most RFID tags contain at least two parts. One is an integrated circuit for storing and processing information, modulating and demodulating a (RF) signal and can also be used for other specialized functions. The second is an antenna for receiving and transmitting the signal.
Our Wyze-Scan handheld readers have a wireless connection to the Internet. Your healthcare staff can update your database - private or public - in real-time by waving the reader over an area where the product is stored.

Matrix Product Development has instituted rigorous standards when creating software applications that report physical inventory levels. Our proven method of product development has provided guaranteed customer satisfaction for years

When any one of your costly items have a RFID-enabled asset tracking system tag attached, it can consistently deliver a return on investment (ROI). You can capture up to date accurate information when needed.

Many leading hospitals now recognize that closed-loop RFID can enable benefits such as out-of-stock reductions and can improve tracking within an existing Cath Lab infrastructure. Hospitals realize that they don’t have to wait in order to deploy within the Hospital. In a closed-loop deployment, the Hospital has control over all the inventory required in one area, such as Cath Lab to achieve ROI quickly.

RFID technology has also matured in the past few years. Passive RFID has improved leaps and bounds thanks to Gen 2 causing a higher demand for their use. Gen 2 tags can consistently and read assets reliably. Handhelds and portals performance are way beyond that of early passive technology.

In addition to better technology, the cost of RFID tags have came down significantly. Tag costs can add up when you are looking to track even the modest inventories of lower cost assets. But less expensive tags are making it more economically attractive for hospitals to tag all their assets.

By tracking what inventory is being used, where they are used, how they are used, and who is using them, hospitals get a better handle on capital allocations for the year.

Tagging will also add security for critical inventory. Every hospital is bound to have certain critical inventory, such as stents, that can go missing. RFID is proving a potent tool for recovering the misplaced inventory.

You can now track inventory and check for any product expirations within a close-loop system used right in your Cath Lab. Find out how to this indispensable tool.

Your staff will have more time to devote to patient care when using a Wyze-Scan Cath Lab Inventory System from Matrix Product Development, Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.

When Cath Lab operating costs are rising, careful management of all expenses is vital to any hospitals long term survival.

With a substantial inventory of stents, CRM devices and other consumables, your Cath Lab inventory is often prone to theft, loss, hoarding, stock-outs, maintenance slips and even improper usage.

Spending less time manually checking the inventory will free up time for your staff.

Find a proven system for control that can be implemented without changing the general operation of your your Lab and you will see improvements.

Most inventory systems work like a library. Items are checked out and then checked back in if not used. Typically, when staff know the inventory is being tracked, they are more accountable.

Sometimes consumables are not returned to inventory because it may be time consuming to manually log all that information.

Using Barcode and radio-frequency (RFID) tags to identify each item properly provides a universal system to all supplies stored within the Lab. It will speed recording time of the inventory used for each procedure and free your staff to concentrate on patient care.

Each RFID label can be read by a scanner. Its a device similar to what you see used in a supermarket when an item is scanned to find the price. The scanner can read what is being used when it is taken from an existing storage cabinet within the Cath lab.

Because Cath Labs are housed in a lead lined room, it acts like one large storage cabinet. By utilizing WI-Fi readers at each corner within the Lab, the data is transmitted to the software to include all items in the room.

You can easily find and recover a misplaced item by passing the scanner over all inventory within the Cath Lab.

Each item used for a particular procedure can be identified by the short range tag reader and transmitted to the software.

The  Wyze-Scan system is simple, accurate, and speeds inventory control. It takes human error out of the equation by providing a fool proof method of inventory control.

This is inspiring news. It confirms a wide acceptance of the RFID technology in our daily lives. According to sources, Apple has built new iPhone prototypes with the hardware to read RFID chip information.

Have You heard about all the other uses being developed using RFID? Ideas for your needs?

We know that talking about this new technology isn’t the most exciting subject in your world. But what if it could save you some time and money in your business or organization?


The cost of RFID chips is down to just a few cents each. This will make it possible to be used in a wide variety of industries. Shipping companies and retailers already use RFIDs to track packages much like barcodes. Libraries use them to track books.  Theme parks attach wrist bands with RFIDs to people to track real time location.

If you are looking to identify or track something in your business, what do you do first?



We are a group of engineers and developers that listen to your concerns and find a solution. We are in business to help you solve your concerns when using new technology solutions. Lets work together to find the answer suited to your business.

You could ask that question over and over again to yourself and get different answers unless you really identify your real reason by writing it down.

Why should you take the time to identify your real reason? Because properly identifying your most pressing concern or problem must be a the heart of finding your right solution.

There are many custom software applications that can be used to capture the information contained on a RFID tag. There are a variety of ways to read that information and various ways to report the information.


There are many reasons for this, but here is one of them: the people designing your system can get bogged down in the many details of product development and lose sight of your real reason for implementing a RFID system. You must be clear on the final objective and it should be written down.

Defining Your Problem from your point of view is the only way to insure that the solution is meet satisfactory. A written plan is the only way to make sure your criteria is meet.

Ask yourself questions like these: What does the system really do for us? How does if affect the people using the system? How will the staff describe the experience of using the product and service?


When designing a new system you can include so much data that could complicate the process. Do you really need all that data now? Following a precise written plan will insure success in solving your most pressing problem.

Because Matrix Product Development is a small design and engineering firm with years of consulting experience in a wide range of applications, we take the time to guide you through your process.


So give it a try. Let us search for your solution. Help us properly identify you real reason for using RFID technology to meet your needs.

 

Here’s the idea, plain and simple. Why are printers so inexpensive to purchase, because replacement ink cartridges cost half the price of a new printer. Businesses are willing to take loses on certain products, such as printers, because they know they can make up the margin through replacement parts, such as ink cartridges.

So what happens when other companies, aka competitors, come out with cartridges that are much cheaper and are compatible with the inexpensive printer the customer just bought? Obviously, the customer is going with the less expensive ink cartridge! The printer developer is now not only taking a loss on the printers they are producing, but customers aren’t buying the printer’s brand of ink cartridges anymore either, since there are less expensive ones on the market. Now the printer manufacturer is suffering an overall loss, because they aren’t able to generate any revenue through their printers or their ink cartridges, because customers are jumping over to the generic cartridges. So how do we remedy this problem of generic replacements? The answer is GUARANTEED CUSTOMER LOYALTY! Guaranteed customer loyalty consists of customer’s commitment to repurchase or continue using a company’s product brand. Now the question is how do we create guaranteed customer loyalty? I’ll explain the answer to that question by using another example. Just like printers and ink cartridges, the same concept applies for water manifolds and water filters. Even though customers are purchasing one brands water manifold, they are electing to jump to another generic and less expensive water filter when the original filter needs to be replaced. This is where RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology comes into play! Matrix Product Development (www.matrixpd.com) has developed a product called The Octopus that solves the issue of guaranteed customer loyalty by effectively using RFID. Now, the water manifold manufacturer would imbed a small wireless chip to each water filter, and integrate an Octopus into each manifold. When the replacement filter is attached to the manifold the wireless chip would emit a radio signal, which is picked up by The Octopus sensor, to tell the manifold to allow this specific brand’s filter to work. So, if someone tried to replace a specific brand’s water filter with a generic one it wouldn’t work, because without the wireless chip to signal The Octopus, the manifold would not turn on! Meaning there is only one outcome, customers would have to buy a specific brand’s filter for the manifold to work, aka GUARANTEED CUSTOMER LOYALTY! The Octopus can also be used to verify that the correct size and type of water filter is installed in the correct manifold port. To find out more on The Octopus or are just curious to learn more about the benefits of RFID please visit www.RFIDHut.com. Thanks!

Ask yourself this simple question, where does my company lose most of its money? For a myriad of businesses the answer is precise INVENTORY CONTROL! A large majority of them don’t even realize the amount of money they are losing, since they don’t have a proper asset management system set in place. The main reasons that lack of inventory control results in monetary loss is there are poor records for what products are being used, who is using them, when they are being used, and where they are going or coming from. All this information is vital for precise inventory tracking, counting, and monitoring.

Losing cash for frivolous reasons is only half of the problem. Wasted time is the other, since there are only so many hours in a day companies are always looking for ways to become more labor efficient. The amount of wasted time looking for lost inventory (that is rarely recovered) and the amount of stress and hassle accompanying it is detrimental to maintaining a self-efficient workforce. Often multiple people are hired on salary solely for the purpose of counting inventory. Not only is that tens of thousands of dollars that could be put towards better uses, but it also slows down multiple business processes due to a lack of labor efficiency. This all wouldn’t be necessary if there was a way to efficiently and effectively regulate inventory.

Even having to manually scan every product’s bar code is incredibly time consuming when compared to the next era of inventory management. The future is WIRELESS inventory management! The power of wireless lies in its ability to provide VALUE to any organization. By effectively using RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology, any business will be able to immensely increase labor efficiency and drastically decrease inventory costs, which results in a high ROI (return on investment)!

If you want to learn more about how RFID works and its potential benefits and applications check out www.RFIDHut.com.

Here is an example of how RFID can save any business TIME and MONEY! Heart catheterization labs at hospitals lose hundreds of thousands of dollars every year simply because they have poor proper inventory control measures in place. Instead of nurses focusing on sick patients (aka their job), they have to go into every cath lab at a hospital and manually count all the inventory in the rooms multiple times per week. WHAT A WASTE! Not only does this bring into account the human error of manually counting, but it is very labor inefficient since it wastes hours a day. Now imagine just one of these nurses being able to spend the total of one hour a day walking through all the cath labs and waving a “magic wand” around, which counts everything in the room and organizes it into a computerized database. This is the power of WYZE-SCAN™, which is a wireless inventory management system!

WYZE-SCAN™ works by simply adhering a smart RFID label to the inventory inside of the Cath Lab. The tags have a small antenna that is able to emit radio signals that carry small bits of information about the product it is attached to, such as the product’s name and expiration date. All one has to do to precisely count and track every product in the room is to wave around the wireless hand held scanner called the “magic wand.” The scanner picks up the radio signals of every product and does an inventory count with astounding precision in a fraction of the time it would take someone to hand count every item in the room. Reports can be generated for items that have expiration date codes, replenishment lists, and costs of procedures for each doctor and patient.

Check out WYZE-SCAN™ at www.CathLabInventory.com to see what it’s all about!

RFID and wireless are only limited by your imagination. Where there are harsh environments, going wireless can be more reliable and cost less than watertight connections and copper wire. While the technology cost to implement wireless is relatively high, the amount of materials to manufacture a wireless control is relatively small. One could think of it as a “Green” or sustainable solution. A snow plow that mounts on the front of a truck moves up and down in cold weather with wires covered by snow and ice. The control is exposed to a lot of vibration and salt spray. These are all very adverse conditions for electrical connectors and wiring. Choosing the correct frequency to transmit through snow and ice is extremely important for reliable communications. Lower frequencies are needed for the signal to pass through moisture without great attenuation. 433MHz is a good choice that Matrix has experience with on our Wyze-Temp® temperature sensor used in the conveyor type commercial cooking ovens. 433MHz is a good frequency because it can be used in the USA, Europe, Australia and other countries. In addition to wireless communications, angle sensors and 3-axis acceleration sensors are incorporated into the control located on the plow to set elevation, blade angles, and perform automatic lift operations. The handheld control in the cab often times has a series of setup buttons, LED’s and a joystick of sorts. Matrix Product Development is unique because we have a wide expertise in wireless, encapsulation, low power battery designs, angle and motion sensing.

www.matrixpd.com or www.RFIDhut.com

Caskets are often placed at funeral homes on consignment. After they are taken out of storage at the funeral home, the funeral home director must report the usage to the manufacturer and pay for the casket. However, if they fail to report it and if the manufacturer does not check their offsite inventory periodically, the evidence (casket) is buried and difficult to track.

Matrix Product Development can supply a radio frequency identification tag (RFID tag) that is affixed to each casket under a plastic emblem. An RFID tag reader could be placed at each funeral home supply room to report inventory to the manufacturer as it is being removed from the supply room in real time. This can lead to earlier payments and the minimization of lost payments thereby increasing accounting accuracy and achieving higher profits.