Regular Medgadget tipster Vlad sends along this BBC report about a new patient bracelet that checks for medication errors:
The “Brilliant” wristband contains a sensor to scan medicines, and a chip.
The chip is programmed on the patient’s arrival at the hospital with their details and drug requirements.
When a drug bottle or pack is placed on the wristband’s sensor, this scanner checks the electronic tags built in to the medicine’s packaging to make sure it is correct for the patient.
The wristband then informs the nurse if the correct drug has been selected by displaying this information on the wristband’s screen.
Each time a dose is given, the date and time are logged in the chip contained inside the wristband. This information can be downloaded to a hospital computer.
This bracelet, designed by student Claire Dunne, lives up to its name. It’s a good deal more useful than the ID bracelets patients wear today, which haven’t changed in decades.
More from Dunne’s entry in the Brunel design competition…