Looks like Motorola is upping the ante a bit in the portable scanner game. They recently introduced a combination bar code scanner and RFID reader for use at the point of care. It’s not pretty, and the name could use a little marketing help, but it offers some interesting functionality. A combination scanning devices like this could be just what the healthcare industry needs as we continue to move forward with BPOC / BCMA and start investigating the expanded role of RFID tags in patient safety.
According to the Motorola website, the DS9808-R:
The DS9808-R is a ground-breaking data capture device that represents two Motorola firsts. The DS9808-R is not only the first combination 1D/2D bar code scanner and RFID reader, it also represents a new RFID product category — the first combination handheld/hands-free UHF RFID reader. Motorola’s revolutionary imaging engine enables the capture of 1D and 2D bar codes as well as images and signatures, with record swipe speeds on both 1D and 2D bar codes. The hands-free read range for bar codes and RFID tags can be adjusted to meet your needs — for example, the RFID read range can be set to prevent the inadvertent capture of RFID tags in a nearby cash-wrap. The flexible device can capture virtually any 1D or 2D bar code quickly and easily on paper labels as well as on mobile phone displays, providing built-in support for emerging applications — mobile coupons and mobile loyalty cards in retail to mobile boarding passes at the airport. The DS9808-R can also capture and parse the PDF417 bar codes on U.S. driver’s licenses and other AAMVA compliant ID cards, enabling retailers to automatically populate a credit or loyalty care application or other form. The result is the extraordinary flexibility to accommodate virtually any type of inventory management technology at the POS — all with a single cost-effective device.
More detailed information can be found at the Motorola website here (PDF).
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