CheckPoint - Types of Application : Hospital

Wireless Temperature Recording System

CheckPoint is a wireless, computerized remote temperature monitoring, recording and alert system to wirelessly monitor temperature of refrigerators and freezers where temperature monitoring is critical. The software program is designed to help meet JCAHO, DHS, CAP, AABB and regulatory health requirements. The system installs on an existing PC and comes complete with installation, training and support for a turnkey solution. Radio interference is a major concern for most hospital due to the numerous sensitive medical equipment and wireless devices, but a radio frequency study indicated no interference from the CheckPoint 900 MHz system, including the Spectralink phone system. None of our numerous hospital installations have ever reported an interference problem.

CheckPoint is currently in operation in many hospitals across the country, from the Rehab Hospital in Honolulu, Hawaii, to the VA Medical Center in Miami, Florida.

At St. Luke’s Hospital, a Sutter Health affiliate in San Francisco, about 180 sensors monitor all refrigerators, freezers and other equipment for every department throughout the hospital: pharmacy, laboratory, blood bank, nutrition services, physical/occupational therapy, OR, ED, L&D, Surgery, and Radiology. All equipment data are stored in one central computer at the IT department, and any user can open the program from their desk computer to interact only with the pertinent equipment for their department.

In the Lab, over 40 sensors track the temperature of every lab equipment, including the water baths, heating blocks, incubators, blood refrigerators and –80 deg C ultra low freezers. Temperature records and corrective action during any time period are accessible immediately, and a red flashing light in the middle of the lab immediately notifies the staff if any equipment exceeds its time & temperature limits. “It’s a great system” remarks Janet Lum, Lab Director.

Keith Yoshizuka, pharmacy director, has authorized the installation of the CheckPoint sensor in every in-patient pharmacy equipment, as well as all drug refrigerators at every nurse station.

At the kitchen operated by Aramark, the dietary manager can immediately view the current temperature of about 30 equipment in the kitchen including the dishwasher, warmer, reach-ins, and walk-ins as well as the beverage, grab ‘n go cases, ice cream freezers and cold tables in the servery. The portable tray line refrigerators can be wheeled anywhere, and the wireless sensors continue to monitor their temperature. Patient Food refrigerators at each nursing stations are also monitored. Equipment performance can readily be analyzed and hard data provided to facilities for preventive maintenance. Full compliance with local health code and documentation for JCAHO and DHS inspections are always ready.

At the newly opened, state-of-the-art Century City Doctors’ Hospital in Beverly Hills, CA, every blood bank refrigerator as well as the small blood refrigerators in every surgical room is monitored and the temperature recorded every 1-minute. The staff and PBX operator is notified at the same time as soon as an alert occurs to take immediate corrective action. In addition, all equipment in the pharmacy and laboratory are monitored.

At the Children’s Hospital in Denver, CO, about 180 sensors are deployed throughout the main hospital consisting of 5 buildings and 9 satellite clinics. All the data is centrally hosted and backed up in a SQL server at the data center located in a separate building from the main hospital.