GENTAG Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is unique about GENTAG?
A: GENTAG correctly anticipated ten years ago that cell phones would be used as sensor readers for consumer markets, including consumer diagnostics. The company developed a unique intellectual property portfolio and suite of technologies to exploit this emerging global market. GENTAG has created a new disposable wireless sensor platform that is directly compatible with the next generation of consumer NFC cell phones and can be used with any device, appliance, sensor or application. The company has developed and is starting to commercialize with its partners specific applications of this technology for the consumer markets such as temperature monitoring, fitness, food safety, skin care, women's health and diabetes. The aim of the company is to make these disposable wireless sensor technologies ubiquitous, affordable and accessible to everyone worldwide.
Q: What frequencies do the GENTAG technologies use?
A: GENTAG uses three stand-alone wireless sensor platforms operating from 13.56 MHz to 2.4 GHz allowing read ranges from inches to several miles, depending on the specific market application.
Q: Can the GENTAG technologies be used in hospitals?
A: Yes. GENTAG combines 13.56 MHz sensor mobile readers with Wi-Fi to communicate the data directly to any hospital server. 13.56 MHz is accredited for medical use worldwide.
Q: What is "mHealth"? How will this technology help me?
A: mHealth or Mobile Health links a patient with a hospital, physician or family member electronically, anywhere. GENTAG believes that consumer NFC cell phones combined with disposable sensors provides the ideal technology platform to expand mHealth market opportunities worldwide.
Q: How does mHealth work using the GENTAG technology?
A: Let's assume you go to a hospital for surgery. Post surgery a special non-invasive disposable wireless sensor patch is applied to the surgery area, you are sent home and you will then scan the surgery area at recommended times directly with your cell phone or PC. If something becomes abnormal then you will be called back immediately to the hospital. Essentially you and the hospital save money because you limit your time in the hospital and any problems are caught early on in the safety and comfort of your home. Reducing the time spent in hospitals will result in major cost savings.
Q: What are examples?
A: Specific examples include remote post orthopedics surgery, pre-labor monitoring, weight changes, heart condition monitoring and diabetes, among many others.
Q: In addition to mHealth what other diagnostic applications are possible using NFC cell phones?
A: Virtually any condition can be monitored with your cell phone including diabetes, pregnancy, ovulation, asthma, fever monitoring, medication, pre-cancer or Point-of-Care (POC) tests. This is possible because of GENTAG's patented wireless immunoassay platform combined with diagnostic skin patches allow virtually any antibody test to be done directly with a cell phone. A non-medical consumer diagnostic example would be monitoring foods in a restaurant for peanut traces using a disposable wireless immunoassay and a cell phone.
Q: Will my health data be safe if I use a cell phone to monitor my medical condition?
A: Yes. You can select several options. The most common one is simply to display the test result only on your cell phone or PC screen and it does not go any further. Alternatively you can store and send the data remotely to a family relative or your physician. You may also select to send the data to remote medical records storage systems such as Microsoft's HealthVault. If the data is send remotely the cell phone's identity is hidden and encrypted using secure HIPAA compliant standards.
Q: What are the cost savings using the GENTAG technologies?
A: By using common consumer NFC cell phones as readers our aim is the save costs for every diagnostic application. Our technologies are based on disposable diagnostic wireless sensors combined with NFC cell phones, which can save hospitals thousands of dollars per patient.
Q: When are these technologies going to be available?
A: Some are already available now and others will become available in the near future.Q: Can the GENTAG technologies be used with my PC?
A: Yes. In addition to cell phones a low cost USB reader for your PC can be used for your diagnostic needs.
Q: Do I need to buy a special cell phone? What is the cost?
A: The GENTAG disposable wireless sensor technology is directly compatible with the new NFC (Near Field Communications) cell phones. The cost of an NFC cell phone is anticipated to be virtually the same as a normal cell phone. All major cell phone brands including Nokia, Google, Apple, Samsung, RIM, LG and Motorola are integrating the NFC technology. In addition GENTAG provides a custom NFC cell phone that can be tailored for any GENTAG sensor application.
Q: Can the patented GENTAG technologies be used for applications other than diagnostics?
A: Yes. Disposable wireless NFC sensors combined with cell phones have many immediate global Machine-to-Machine (M2M) and consumer market applications such as temperature monitoring, remote appliance monitoring ("smart" homes), checking the pressure of your tires with your cell phone, counterfeit checking, food safety, allergy prevention and Homeland Security applications.
Q: Is the technology patented?
A: Yes. The GENTAG technology is protected worldwide by 10 issued patents and over 60 pending applications. Some applications are jointly owned with Motorola and are filed under Altivera, LLC, a GENTAG managed company.
Q: What is GENTAG's business model?
A: We custom make NFC sensors and license our technologies to large consumer and diagnostic companies to ensure that the technology becomes widely available worldwide.
Q: Who do I contact to get more information on the company?
A: Please contact anyone below:
| John Peeters: | +1-240-994-2236 | john.peeters@gentag.com |
| Marc Bense: | +31-235-431-015 | marc.bense@gentag.com |
| JP Ziegler: | +32-475-940-838 | jp.ziegler@gentag.com |
| Marc Onigman: | +1-617-413-2830 | marc.onigman@gentag.com |