Accutech Security has announced the results of internal testing of its radio frequency identification (RFID) infant protection system, Cuddles, in response to concerns raised by hospital maternity wards and birthing centers regarding false alarms caused by electromagnetic interference.
To combat the potential threat of infant abduction, hospital maternity wards and birthing centers continue to install electronic security measures that employ RFID technology. Transmitter chips attached to each infant are rigged to trigger alarms placed near all exit points if an unauthorized person attempts to remove the infant from the designated area. However, the widespread use of cell phones and other personal electronic devices is reportedly contributing to an increase in the false alarm rate of the security systems.
The Cuddles Infant Protection system operates at a frequency “on the edge of a range available only to the Department of Defense . . . [helping] to make them the most interference-free infant abduction protection systems on the market,” the company said in a statement.
According to Jason Guerrero, vice president and manager of technical applications at Accutech Security, the company “has tested and verified that the RF transmissions generated by smartphones, cell phones, iPads and the like, do not interfere with or have an adverse effect related to the RF of the Accutech tags when placed in close proximity or next to each other. . . Additionally, if the tag is transmitting a band removal signal, it has also been tested and verified that no RF interference shall occur.”
