How to improve asset tracking in hospitals with Nordic and IoT

Healthcare solution development services have brought the best devices for medical treatments and to hospitals. In fact, due to the high activity and constant access of new patients, hospitals need to pay attention to the asset tracking of their equipment. But what equipment needs to be tracked?

1. IV Poles

Frequently moved between rooms and departments; often misplaced or unavailable when needed.

2. Wheelchairs

High-demand mobility aids that are constantly relocated; essential for patient transport.

3. Portable monitors

Vital sign monitors that need to be quickly located in emergency or recovery settings.

4. Infusion pumps

Used for controlled medication delivery; requires both availability tracking and maintenance logging.

5. Defibrillators (AEDs)

Life-saving devices must always be accessible, charged, and ready for use.

6. Ultrasound machines

Portable imaging equipment used in various departments; downtime from being “lost” affects diagnostics.

7. Ventilators

Critical care devices that must be tracked during high patient demand and crisis scenarios.

The real problem hospitals face without tracking

Imagine this: It’s 2:00 AM in the emergency department. A critical trauma patient is being rushed in, and a portable ultrasound machine is needed immediately. Nurses search the usual rooms, but it’s gone. Minutes are lost. Eventually, someone finds it two floors away, unused but misplaced.

Situations like this happen more often than you’d think. Without proper hospital equipment tracking, lives can be on the line.

Why is asset tracking in hospitals essential?

Hospitals can lose hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars annually from misplaced or underutilized equipment. A lack of real-time hospital equipment tracking can delay patient care, increase operational costs, and frustrate staff.

That’s where smart medical asset tracking devices come in, bringing visibility, automation, and control to your facility.

Technologies that power modern hospital equipment tracking

Now, let’s explore how you can use different technologies like Nordic Semiconductor’s Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) chips, along with smart PCB design and cloud connectivity, to elevate your hospital asset tracking system; it doesn´t matter if you are building a tracker from scratch or upgrading your current setup.

1. BLE Chipsets from Nordic Semiconductor

Nordic’s nRF5340 or nRF52840 chips are ideal for hospital use cases:

• Ultra-low power for long battery life.
• Secure, encrypted data transfer.
• Robust BLE connectivity in dense environments.

2. Custom PCB design

Develop PCBs with integrated BLE and sensor support (motion, location, temperature). A 4-layer PCB with internal RF shielding ensures medical compliance and signal integrity.

3. Cloud & mobile integration

Connect tracking data to a secure cloud platform. Use mobile apps or dashboards to locate, assign, and audit equipment in real time.

Use case: Tracking IV poles and diagnostic equipment

Imagine a hospital struggling with misplaced IV poles and delayed MRI scans due to unavailable machines.
With BLE-based medical tracking devices:

• Each asset is tagged with a small BLE beacon.
• Staff can instantly locate equipment via an app.
• Alerts trigger if assets leave authorized zones.
• Data logs help identify bottlenecks or underuse.

This is the foundation of a modern hospital asset tracking system, helping hospitals avoid common delays and inefficiencies.

Benefits of upgrading your hospital asset tracking system

• Increased asset utilization
• Reduced equipment loss
• Time saved for medical staff
• Better compliance and audit trails

Whether you’re exploring hospital asset management for the first time or aiming to enhance your existing system, BLE and IoT technologies offer a scalable, reliable solution.

Ready to build or improve your asset tracking solution for hospitals?

At DeepSea Developments, we specialize in IoT product development using top-tier technologies like Nordic Semiconductor chips. From PCB design to full-stack systems, we help healthcare innovators create smart, efficient, and compliant hospital equipment tracking devices.