The Smart Healthcare sector has seen remarkable growth in recent years, with market forecasts indicating a value of billions of dollars in the coming years. According to a Vantage Market Research report, the global smart healthcare market is expected to reach $564.2 billion by 2035, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.7%. Other studies, such as those by IMARC Group and Mordor Intelligence, estimate that the sector could exceed $500 billion by 2033, thanks to the integration of advanced technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). The adoption of these solutions is radically transforming hospital resource management, patient monitoring and operational efficiency.
In this scenario, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)-based tracking solutions are emerging as essential tools to address the daily challenges of healthcare facilities.
One of the main difficulties in hospital environments concerns the management of physical resources and personnel. Medical devices, such as infusion pumps and ventilators, can be difficult to locate quickly in complex settings such as hospitals, causing delays in care and increasing operating costs. The adoption of BLE-based RTLS systems allows for real-time monitoring of the location of equipment, preventing loss, optimizing resource use, and reducing the costs associated with replacing lost or untraceable instruments. Thanks to these technologies, healthcare facilities can better manage workflows, reducing time spent on administrative tasks and improving the overall experience for both healthcare professionals and patients.
Another fundamental and critical aspect that concerns healthcare is the safety of patients and operators. Monitoring the location of frail or pathological patients is crucial to guarantee their safety and prevent critical situations, such as unauthorized removals. Furthermore, it allows patients themselves to send alarm signals, either voluntary or automatic, in the event of emergencies or falls.
Operators, on the other hand, are frequently exposed to high risks, such as assaults, accidents, and emergency situations. Creating a safer work environment for doctors and nurses not only protects them, but also improves the quality of care, reducing stress and increasing productivity.
Several hospitals worldwide have implemented Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)-based Real-Time Locating Systems (RTLS) for asset tracking and staff safety. Here are some examples:
- University Hospital Innsbruck, Austria: Implemented an integrated RTLS system in their psychiatric ward to improve communication with staff in the event of an emergency. The system uses emergency button badges that, when pressed, send an alarm indicating the exact location of the staff member in distress, enabling a rapid response to critical situations.
- Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK: Implemented an RTLS system that uses RFID and BLE tags to track medical devices such as infusion pumps. The system provides real-time data on the location and maintenance status of devices, improving operational efficiency and equipment availability.
These examples highlight how the adoption of BLE-based RTLS systems can significantly improve hospital resource management and staff safety.
BlueUp and Local Positioning Systems (LPS) technologies
We have told you about the many advantages of BLE technology in healthcare, and now you are wondering where to start to apply it in your hospital environment? BlueUp is here to help you take the next step. We are a leading company in the design and production of Local Positioning Systems (LPS) solutions based on Bluetooth Low Energy BLE technology. Among our solutions, the two MeshCube and LocateBLE platforms have characteristics that make them suitable for localization, tracking and asset management applications within healthcare facilities.
MeshCube is a unique solution on the market, with a completely wireless infrastructure based on a communication network in Wirepas Mesh 2.4GHz technology. With this technology all the design, installation and wiring costs are reduced to almost zero, which makes it extremely economical and suitable for applications regarding automatic inventory, asset tracking, distributed monitoring through sensors.
LocateBLE enables the localization of assets and people in real time through algorithms based on RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) and trilateration. The premium feature of LocateBLE is its independence from hardware: the platform is designed to be compatible with a wide range of Bluetooth® LE devices: IoT gateways, WiFi access points with BLE interface, Zigbee modules with BLE support, third-party BLE tags and sensors. This flexibility makes LocateBLE suitable for numerous Real-Time tracking applications.
MeshCube: the ideal solution for hospital environments
Among the localization solutions proposed by BlueUp, MeshCube emerges as the ideal choice for hospital environments, thanks to its flexibility and ability to adapt to the specific needs of these complex structures. Hospitals are particularly challenging environments for the installation of communication networks, given their extension and the presence of numerous structural obstacles, which would make the implementation of traditional cabling difficult. These characteristics entail not only technical difficulties, but also significant costs for the long stretches of cables needed to cover the large spaces.
Among the advanced technological solutions proposed by BlueUp, MeshCube emerges as the ideal choice for hospital environments, thanks to its flexibility and ability to adapt to the specific needs of these complex structures. Hospitals are particularly challenging environments for the installation of communication networks, given their size and the presence of numerous structural obstacles, which would make the implementation of traditional cabling difficult. These characteristics entail not only technical difficulties, but also significant costs for the long stretches of cables needed to cover the large spaces.
As mentioned above, MeshCube stands out for the use of a completely wireless infrastructure that eliminates the need for complex and invasive cabling, significantly reducing design, installation and maintenance costs. Thanks to Wirepas Mesh 2.4GHz technology, MeshCube allows to create a robust, secure and scalable communication network, ensuring continuous coverage throughout the hospital. This technology, in fact, allows to easily interconnect devices and sensors distributed over large areas, without having to resort to invasive structural interventions or long wiring operations, which would be expensive and problematic in a hospital environment. MeshCube represents a highly advantageous solution, as it offers speed of implementation and significantly lower costs compared to traditional wired infrastructures, while improving the efficiency and operational flexibility of the entire healthcare facility.
A concrete example of the effectiveness of MeshCube is the ATLAS project (which is currently evolving thanks to the new HEART project -Hospital Environment Analysis & Real Time Tracking-, a cutting-edge initiative aimed at improving hospital safety through innovative technological solutions based not only on IoT but also on Artificial Intelligence), developed in collaboration with the Centro Chirurgico Toscano. This project used MeshCube to respond to various operational needs, such as improving the tracking of hospital assets (medical devices, medicine carts, wheelchairs) and staff safety. Thanks to the self-configuring and scalable mesh network, each device was equipped with a tag that, through communication with the wireless anchors, allowed to precisely locate each asset within the hospital in real time.
The result was remarkable: asset search times were drastically reduced, from an average of 2 minutes to just 15 seconds, with a 90% reduction in search times, significantly improving operational efficiency and optimizing resource use. Furthermore, MeshCube offered an ideal solution for monitoring patients and staff, with the adoption of bracelets and wearable devices capable of sending geo-localized alarms in the event of an emergency, such as patients who leave without authorization.
The possibility of implementing this infrastructure without the use of cables allowed to reduce costs and make the solution highly scalable, adapting perfectly even to hospitals with older structures. This model made MeshCube a particularly interesting solution even for structures that do not have an advanced Wi-Fi network infrastructure, while still ensuring continuous and secure monitoring of all hospital resources.
Another concrete example of the effectiveness of BlueUp solutions is represented by the Centre Hospitalier de Perpignan, one of the main public health institutions in the Pyrénées-Orientales department. The hospital successfully implemented Wirepas mesh technology to optimize the management of critical equipment, such as infusion pumps and electric beds. The main challenge was to locate these medical devices within an area of 75,000 m², without having a wired infrastructure.
The implementation of the Wirepas infrastructure ensured proper localization, with a margin of error of only 3 meters. This allowed a significant reduction in search times, better use of resources and optimization in the management of devices between departments. It also simplified the work of biomedical engineers, providing them with more accurate data to make informed purchasing decisions.
The success of these projects demonstrates the effectiveness of MeshCube and the wire-free Wirepas Mesh 2.4GHz technology, which confirms itself as the ideal solution for hospital environments that want to optimize their processes, increase efficiency and ensure a safer environment for patients and staff.
The ATLAS and Centre Hospitalier de Perpignan application cases highlight the concrete benefits of adopting tracking and monitoring technologies, capable of transforming even traditional hospitals into smart facilities through retrofitting, without requiring significant investments in new infrastructure.
Conclusions
The adoption of LPS localization technologies and RTLS solutions represents a crucial step towards a more efficient, safe and intelligent healthcare. With concrete results in terms of cost reduction, process optimization and improved safety, the healthcare sector today has the opportunity to embrace digitalization and transform itself into a truly smart system.
Contact us now to find out more about our solutions!