Benjamin Bell wants hospital wrist bands to be more appealing to children. However, his idea has the potential to change the way hospitals track their patients, reports Wanganui Chronicle.
While the straight-talking 12-year-old student wants his Well Band to be able to be customised with a graphic for more appeal to children, it is a more technological aspect that may have wider ramifications.
Benjamin has designed his band to have Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) to streamline the information held for that patient, and GPS to be able to locate the patient in the hospital.
Benjamin’s idea grew when he visited his father in hospital last year.
“It was really annoying because they had moved my dad from one ward to another and we could not find him.”
Innovate Manawatu kids’ category was the perfect platform for Benjamin, who said his Well Band would not only track the patient but medication treatment could also be loaded on the RFID.
He has been in recent discussions with Palmerston North Hospital and is researching to see if anyone has designed anything similar.
Benjamin says the $20,000 prize would “kick start me and I could be an inventor”.
Photo by Richard Gifford