Electromagnetic immunity testing of radio frequency identification devices (RFID) in healthcare environment – A selected review

Abstract The deployment of Radio Frequency Identification Devices (RFID) in healthcare to alleviate patient identification problems, identification of samples, and tracking of assets will make the whole system simple and hassle free. The potential hazards resulting from this RFID system is that the EM radiation (Electromagnetic) emanating from RFID readers and tags will interfere with the functioning of medical devices and may alter the diagnosis by doctors. It is therefore better to test the medical devices' EM sensitivity to the radiation of RFID systems to be introduced in healthcare and to determine the events of Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) in various devices. Based on the type of events that have occurred, it will be decided whether or not the RFID concerned could be used in the healthcare sector. This paper summarizes numerous research work conducted on RFID tolerance studies carried out in different countries.