GENTAG Applications

GENTAG and Altivera's issued patents cover the uses of cell phones as NFC sensor readers. The technology empowers consumers to detect virtually anything, anywhere, and for almost any application. Major technology leaders including Samsung, Google, Nokia, Microsoft and others have announced the integration of the NFC technology into their cell phones with a focus on payments. The NFC cell technology is compatible with GENTAG's disposable sensor technology. Cell phones are perfect for consumer-based sensor networks because:

GENTAG's goal is to redefine consumer-based diagnostic capabilities by enabling consumers' cell phones to access and read any NFC tag or sensor tag, anywhere. Our IP focuses on key diagnostic NFC sensors, where utilizing advanced wireless technologies and their associated networks will provide substantial cost savings for every major market. Market applications include:

Counterfeit Prevention

Counterfeits, including counterfeit drugs, are increasingly common and put the health and well-being of people worldwide at risk.

GENTAG offers a simple, low cost wireless tag that is designed to be injection molded inside pharmaceutical bottles empowering the consumer to check the authenticity of the product directly with their cell phones prior to purchase or use. The technology is not limited to checking for counterfeit drugs. It can be applied to any authentication market or application, thereby helping reduce the estimated $1.2 trillion/year global counterfeit market.

Counterfeits can also be detected using GENTAG's multi-level authentication process with any web-enabled cell phone. The software can be tailored to any market, cell phone or application. Examples include counterfeit pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, wines, antiques or parts authentication. Please contact us for more information.

NFC Sensors

A completely new disposable, wireless sensor platform is crucial to making the necessary quantum leap to low-cost consumer-based wireless sensor technologies. GENTAG's two-tiered approach to this challenge is as follows:

In order to facilitate a low-cost, disposable, consumer-based wireless sensor platform, GENTAG has designed and successfully tested a new low-power digital circuit with an ultra-linear internal reference point for on-chip or external sensors.

This tested and patented technology only requires a single temperature calibration point, thereby allowing the production of low-cost, disposable RFID sensor tags.

The NFC chip can serve as a "generic" sensor platform with an internal temperature sensor and external analog and digital ports, thereby allowing a multitude of different wireless sensors to be made and read directly with NFC enabled cell phones, using a proprietary communication process.

NFC Machine-to-Machine (M2M) Applications

GENTAG's patented NFC sensor technology can be customized for any machine-to-machine market or application, including home appliances. Because of its low cost and ease of use NFC sensors combined with cell phones are expected to revolutionize consumer appliance markets. The technology can be used for almost any consumer appliance or M2M industrial market. An example is using an NFC temperature and pressure sensor for common air conditioning units to know if servicing is required prior to calling a technician.

NFC Diagnostic Smart Skin Patch Technology

GENTAG's patented "smart" skin-patch technology combines our low-cost, disposable NFC sensor platform with an adhesive skin patch. As with most of GENTAG's sensor technologies, these disposable, non-invasive "smart" skin patches are directly readable with NFC-enabled cell phones, NFC tablets or PCs.

An application example for the NFC skin patch technology is a patient ID and fever onset bandage, integrating GENTAG's proprietary sensor circuit in a disposable skin patch. Applications include using cell phones for monitoring the fever onset in a child, patient monitoring in hospitals, or remotely monitoring the well-being of elderly relatives or friends via cell phones or the Internet. The technology also applies to skin health and can be combined with printable (passive) sensors that work without batteries.

GENTAG has patented and is currently developing applications of its NFC smart skin-patch technology, including:

Cell Phone Immunoassays

GENTAG has also patented and tested a proprietary technology to combine immunoassays with NFC cell phones or PCs for on-the-spot diagnostics and remote monitoring of results, anywhere. Applications include pathogen detection, trace analysis detection in foods (e.g. peanuts) and food safety, women's health, and Point-of-Care (POC) diagnostic applications. The company plans to merge this technology with specific biomarkers for advanced diagnostic applications using cell phones. A specific example is prostate cancer monitoring based on a newly discovered biomarker referred to as PCADM-1. The biomarker is urine-based, meaning that tests are very simple, rapid and low-cost. Clinical tests have shown that the test is much more accurate than the PSA test.

Bluetooth-NFC Hybrid Technologies

GENTAG is pioneering the use of dual Bluetooth-NFC technology with cell phones to help reduce the costs of health monitoring globally. Using this approach, GENTAG can leverage existing, FDA-approved Bluetooth health-monitoring devices and combine this technology with disposable custom NFC sensor technologies such as painless diabetes skin patches.

This patented, combined technology gives GENTAG a significant market advantage. An application example for Bluetooth-NFC technology is illustrated below for weight management. The GENTAG technology can be used with Android, Windows or other common cell phone OS platforms.

Hospital Discharge Kits

GENTAG's low cost NFC cell phone can be combined with custom-made medical sensors to help monitor patients after they leave hospitals for any condition. Since the phone is unlocked and includes two SIM slots, low cost data plans are possible. The data can be transferred anywhere (e.g. a nurse station, a doctor, a family member, etc.). An example is a post-surgery monitoring kit for orthopedics.

Radiation, Chemical and Biological Detection Cell Phones

GENTAG holds several patents covering the modification of a cell phone to serve as a low-cost radiation and/or chemical sensor for the discovery of external threats. This technology was first patented well before "dirty bombs" or other large-scale terrorist threats became a concern to governments worldwide.

GENTAG's patented technology includes both modular (removable) or built-in sensors as described in patents 6,031,454 and 7,109,859, remote NFC sensors or the combination of the two types of sensors.

This technology originates from work on wireless triangulation first done for the US Department of Defense starting in 1990 at Sandia National Laboratories. GENTAG's pioneering vision to use cell phones for threat detection has been widely recognized.

Radar Responsive Tags for RTLS and Geofencing

Dr. Mike Lovejoy tested and developed for the US government a wide area non-GPS geolocation technology that can locate in real time small tags with extremely high accuracy over 10 miles away. The technology, which is referred to as "Radar Responsive" tags (or RR tags), works inside buildings and therefore can geolocate items or people both inside or outside structures using stand-alone mobile geolocation "base stations" that can be set up anywhere.

Radar Responsive tags are extremely accurate and have been tested by the US military for "Blue Force" tracking to avoid "friendly fire."

RR tags can be inserted anywhere, are permanent and low cost. GENTAG's focus is on hybrid geolocation technologies that combine GPS, RR tags and NFC sensors with cell phones, PDAs or other web-accessible wireless technologies to enable low cost real time highly accurate wireless tracking and sensing for virtually any industrial, consumer or Government application.

Sample applications for RR tags include locating patients with dementia, locating missing people or locating high value assets (e.g. cars) and "smart" diagnostic skin patches for vital sign monitoring and geolocation of soldiers, athletes or people working in dangerous environments over large geographical areas. Other emerging applications include geofencing for consumer markets (wireless e-coupons, etc.).

For technical or licensing information please contact GENTAG at info@gentag.com

Applications of IP:

Passive RFID sensor chip and antenna on printable substrate

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