Terso Solutions, Inc., located in Madison, Wisconsin

Madison, Wisconsin

Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....

, USA, is the developer and distributor of an automated system for storage and distribution of high value research reagents and medical supplies. Terso has developed a [reagent stocking system, which uses radio frequency identification

Radio Frequency Identification

Radio-frequency identification is a technology that uses radio waves to transfer data from an electronic tag, called RFID tag or label, attached to an object, through a reader for the purpose of identifying and tracking the object. Some RFID tags can be read from several meters away and beyond the...

 (RFID) tags along with secure access control, linked to the internet. These combined technologies allow Terso to securely track and manage inventory remotely.
Developed initially as an on-site inventory supplier for Promega products, the privately held Terso Solutions, Inc. was spun off from Promega

Promega

Promega Corporation is a manufacturer of enzymes and other products for biotechnology and molecular biology.-History :Promega Corporation was founded by Bill Linton in 1978 to provide restriction enzymes for biotechnology...

Corporation in 2005. In February 2010, Terso Solutions formed Terso GmbH in Mannheim, Germany, in response to increasing demand for its RFID units in Europe.

In Healthcare

Terso Solutions offers RFID-enabled cabinets, refrigerators and freezers as part of an automated inventory management system for healthcare. Terso’s products are typically used in cath labs, emergency rooms, and hospital supply rooms. Benefits hospitals realize from Terso’s units include improved regulatory compliance, expiration date management, reduced manual inventory processes and secure, 24/7 real-time access to high value inventory.

In Biotechnology

Terso Solutions’ RFID-enabled cabinets, refrigerators and freezers are used by biotechnology and biopharmaceutical laboratories. Labs and the manufacturers and distributers who supply them use Terso’s products to gain more secure control over inventory, ensure product integrity through 24/7 temperature monitoring, expiration date management and by eliminating surprise product outages.

About Radio-Frequency Identification

Radio-frequency identification or RFID tags work by emitting radio waves, either actively or passively, which allow the object or item carrying the tag, to be identified. Active RFID tags involve a power source such as a battery and emit signals, while passive devices require a scanning or reading device for signal identification. Tags can be worn, attached to or implanted in an object. Microchips used in pet animals such as cats and dogs work by RFID. When an animal is found, if it has a microchip bearing an RFID device implanted, the animal can be scanned and the owner’s contact information transmitted.
Terso Solutions supply cabinets and freezers provide temperature-controlled storage and on-site location of supplies. This allows 24/7 access to research reagents, as well as automated inventory control. The cabinets and freezers provide secured access, so that only authorized users can remove the products. This controlled access, combined with RFID tags, allows real-time tracking of products and is designed to allow easy inventory assessment and timely restocking as the supply of reagents is depleted.

RFID Enables Reagent Access and Inventory

The user accesses the inside of the cabinet and with a special RFID-enabled card. The “purchase” of products is noted when a reagent is removed from the cabinet, as the product RFID label triggers a web-enabled computer attached to the cabinet.

RFID and Transplant Medicine

A new and rapidly evolving field of medicine surrounds the collection and distribution of tissues for reuse in human patients, including tissues as diverse as eyes, musculoskeletal tissue, eggs, sperm and blood stem cells. Experts agree that the field, in its infancy, has the ability to improve the quality of life, or in some cases preserve life for many patients.
As the list of potential patients grows, so does the complexity of collecting, storing and distributing high quality tissue. The number of regulatory agencies involved in tissue procurement and distribution itself is substantial, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and the American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB). These agencies cooperatively define the processes by which biological materials from donors are collected, stored, distributed and used. Storage of such tissues in RFID-enabled cabinets and freezers is an ideal means of ensuring proper storage of, tracking both supplier and user of, and maintaining inventory of such tissues.

In 2007 Odin Technologies recognized Terso Solutions as having cabinets with a smart technology suitable to the rigors of storage and tracking of medically important tissues. .

Terso Solutions employs 25 people. Joe Pleshek has been CEO of Terso Solutions since 2008.
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Features

• Terso Solutions uses RFID technology for distribution and sale of life science reagents on university campuses and at research institutes around the world, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) campuses. The on-site location means quick access to products and thus fewer interruptions in critical research.
• Supply freezers and cabinets enable access to reagents 24/7, removing potential ordering downtime.
• Web connectivity enables automatic inventory tracking.
• One of the newest, and arguably most important uses of RFID tags is for the inventory, storage and distribution of tissues for use in transplantation.
• In November, Terso Solutions launched “RFID Jump Start,” offering one month free for cabinet rental, hosted data services and 24/7 support.

External sources

• Odin Technologies article: http://www.odintechnologies.com/news/39-newsblog/96-rfid-medical-cabinets-benchmarked-head-to-head

• Terso Solutions web site: http://www.tersosolutions.com