Automated and Interference-Free Inventory Solution Using Energy-Neutral BLE Tags

Maintaining an accurate and up-to-date database of the location of assets is a challenge, especially in complex logistic processes. In hospitals, intolerable time is lost searching for tools and expensive surgical equipment. Batteries are typically undesirable in tracking devices, as they contribute to a high cost and ecological impact. In this paper, we present a solution for tracking assets in hospitals, based on energy-neutral RF sensors using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) tags. We developed a reliable solution based on the inside shielding of closets, preventing the signals to contaminate the RF-critical environments, nor generating or receiving interference from neighboring systems. Measurements show that the proposed solution can energize all spatially dispersed tags within this closet efficiently.