July 1, 2020

COVID-19 test kits: When authenticity is king, NFC plus blockchain is the way to go

For COVID-19 control and reliable testing, authentic testing kits and personal protective equipment (PPE) are truly vital. Together with blockchain startup SUKU, Smartrac developed a digital verification solution to securely authenticate healthcare equipment and provide supply chain transparency.

By equipping COVID-19 test kits and PPE with Smartrac’s CircusTM NFC tags, the solution utilizes Avery Dennison’s Digital Identity Platform to feed tag data to SUKU’s blockchain-based supply chain application. The data from the mobile engagement then confirms the authenticity and provenance of the tagged product, reassuring customers and ultimately increasing trust. Customers can also view their purchase price of PPE compared to the global average, providing transparency to help in the fight against price gouging. The physical implementation into existing operations is seamless as the NFC tags are included in as the final step when everything is packaged.

“By combining Avery Dennison’s Digital Identity Platform and Smartrac’s NFC technology with SUKU, we are enabling true transparency for users of COVID-19 testing kits and PPE." — Francisco Melo, VP/GM, Avery Dennison Intelligent Labels

Enabling informed decisions
The test kit solution allows organizations to access real-time data from test kit results to make informed decisions on the allocation of doctors, facilities and resources. By opening a communication channel with healthcare officials, the solution will also provide patients with guidance on appropriate behavior in case of a positive test result.

“By combining Avery Dennison’s Digital Identity Platform and Smartrac’s NFC technology with SUKU, we are enabling true transparency for users of COVID-19 testing kits and PPE. Pairing each physical item with a unique digital identity enables visibility of where the items are being distributed, helping healthcare providers, governments and consumers make better, faster decisions based on access to real-time data,” said Francisco Melo, VP/GM, Avery Dennison Intelligent Labels.

Combining simplicity and security
“As providers around the world are working to quickly expand the availability of PPE and tests for COVID-19, it's important to build technology that's easy to adopt. Our goal is to offer a simple solution that doesn't require complex systems integration, providing the right transparency, provenance, supply availability, and real-time data needed using NFC tags enabled by the SUKU Blockchain,” said Yonathan Lapchik, CEO of SUKU.

Yonathan Lapchik’s team consists of a group of successful entrepreneurs and corporate leaders with a background in supply chain and blockchain from Deloitte’s Blockchain Lab. SUKU aims to become the universal symbol of truth for consumers and brands, making commerce more transparent and efficient through the power of blockchain.


RFID-based solutions: A promising remedy for the healthcare system By providing virtually seamless visibility of every tagged item in the supply chain, RFID and its sub-set NFC technologies enable previously unheard-of levels of inventory transparency and accuracy. The healthcare sector requires these levels of transparency and accuracy for pharmaceuticals, medical devices, instruments, blood bags, etc. in hospitals, doctors’ surgeries, laboratories and pharmacies. RFID solutions can provide that visibility, and effectively support otherwise labor-intensive and error-prone restocking processes for medication trays and carts. Integrating RFID into pharmaceutical products helps improve patient safety by enabling more accurate tracking and authentication of medication through the entire supply chain, with the goal of reducing error rates to nearly zero.

RFID-based solutions: A promising remedy for the healthcare system

By providing virtually seamless visibility of every tagged item in the supply chain, RFID and its sub-set NFC technologies enable previously unheard-of levels of inventory transparency and accuracy. The healthcare sector requires these levels of transparency and accuracy for pharmaceuticals, medical devices, instruments, blood bags, etc. in hospitals, doctors’ surgeries, laboratories and pharmacies. RFID solutions can provide that visibility, and effectively support otherwise labor-intensive and error-prone restocking processes for medication trays and carts. Integrating RFID into pharmaceutical products helps improve patient safety by enabling more accurate tracking and authentication of medication through the entire supply chain, with the goal of reducing error rates to nearly zero.

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