Wearables for Diagnostics: Gentag's Disposable NFC Biomarker Patent Receives Notice of Allowance from the European Patent Office

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Gentag, Inc. is pleased to announce that it has been granted a new, additional allowance for its patents in Europe. This allowance, granted by the European Patent Office, further enhances the company's already significant intellectual property holdings of near field communication (NFC) mobile phone sensor technologies and complements its disposable wearable NFC sensor patent portfolio.

The new patent covers quantitative diagnostic tests that can be carried out anywhere – no lab, or costly lab work, needed – using NFC-enabled mobile phones. Multiple diagnostic tests are possible using just a single drop of blood or urine. The new Gentag patent allowance covers the combination of NFC sensor chips and immunoassays, enabling virtually any biomarker test to be conducted with an NFC mobile phone. Biomarkers, tiny biological "signature" molecules, indicate the presence of specific proteins, diseases or medical conditions, including cancer.

This platform technology, which can be tailored to measure almost any protein or biomarker, is printable and disposable. Examples of applications include: on-the-spot detection of pathogens, allergens in foods (e.g. peanuts) or the environment, and problematic drug interactions. Because of its low cost and ease of use, the technology could revolutionize diagnostics. "We believe that the combination of the well tested lateral flow immunoassay technology with new proprietary chemistries, custom monoclonal antibodies and a custom NFC sensor will allow accurate quantitative diagnostic testing to become available to everyone with a cell phone," stated Dr. John P. Peeters, Gentag's founder and Chief Executive, and an expert on biomarkers.

Gentag's early NFC patents, filed in 2003 and 2004, address the uses of disposable NFC sensor devices, including wearable skin patches and associated NFC readers in devices including mobile phones. The new allowance will complement the recently announced NFC diagnostic skin patch patents that are currently issuing in Europe. The Gentag NFC patents will issue in thirty countries including Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom. 

With the Gentag technologies, it becomes possible to integrate ultrathin, battery-less wireless sensors into disposable diagnostic tests or devices, such as NFC skin patches or immunoassays, allowing consumers and the medical community to conduct on-the-spot tests in multi-billion dollar markets such as fever monitoring, diabetes monitoring, drug interactions, post-surgery monitoring, obesity and weight management. Gentag's core suite of patented technologies covers advanced geolocation; environmental genomics, including NFC immunoassays; NFC diagnostic skin patches; and BAN sensor networks for the Internet of Things (IoT).

About Gentag

Gentag is pioneering the use of disposable, ultrathin wearable and immunoassay biosensors that can be read with NFC-enabled devices, which will make healthcare and consumer diagnostics more affordable and accessible to all worldwide. The company's groundbreaking work will revolutionize not only medical applications, but also location-based services and the detection of environmental threats in food, homes and workplaces everywhere. Gentag's first wireless sensor network patent was filed in 1997. All Gentag NFC patents are held by Altivera, LLC, a Maryland company operated by Gentag and owned by its shareholders.

Gentag's powerful IP and partnerships are at work for a smarter, more connected world.   

For more information, visit http://gentag.com/ and follow Gentag on Twitter (@gentagInc).

SOURCE Gentag, Inc.