Smart blood bags

Using the wrong type of blood in a transfusion could be fatal for the patient, but a new radio node attached to blood bags could prevent these mistakes occurring.

The nodes – developed by researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS and the Fraunhofer Working Group CSC - are fitted to blood bags, and can communicate with a similar node on the patient’s wristband.  An alarm sounds if the blood types are mismatched. 

Surgeons often keep blood on-hand for use in emergencies – this blood has to be kept below certain temperatures if they are to be reused.  The intelligent radio nodes – which were developed in association with T-systems, Vierling, delta T and the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg – are able to monitor the temperature to ensure the cold chain is maintained and the blood can be used again.

“In contrast to tags that use RFID we do not expect intelligent radio nodes to interfere with hospital medical devices,” said Jürgen Hupp, head of communication networks department at IIS.  The radio nodes will transmit in the milliwatt range.  It will be battery powered and have its own processing unit.

The system is built upon a basic platform that the researchers are able to tailor to different applications. They could be used to help track down equipment, like syringe pumps and cardiac monitors which have moved between departments.  The nodes will enable devices to be located automatically.

A six-month test phase will begin in January 2010.