Zebra Technologies and Precision Dynamics Corp. Form Product Partner Agreement
16 December, 2002
category: Contactless, Health
Companies Combine Forces to Offer Unique RFID Solution for Healthcare Market
VERNON HILLS, Ill., Nov. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ – Zebra Technologies (Nasdaq: ZBRA), a global leader in delivering on-demand printing solutions for business improvement, today announced its newest integrated product partner agreement with San Fernando, Calif.-based Precision Dynamics Corp. (PDC), a leading manufacturer and supplier of healthcare and identification management products. As part of its Zebra Systems Integrator (ZSI) program, Zebra will combine its R402 radio frequency identification (RFID) printer/encoder with Precision Dynamic’s Smart CompuBand, a print-on- demand wristband that contains an RFID antenna inlet. When used in conjunction with specialized software, the R402 and Smart Band provide a complete, innovative and unique method to capture and track patient information and medicine distribution, among other applications.
According to medical industry experts, injuries to patients resulting from drug therapy errors and the costs to the healthcare system that are associated with them are one of the most common types of adverse events that occur in hospitals. Healthcare statistics show that the cost to treat patients that have been injured as a result of medication errors total $177.4 billion per year. The advanced technology of Zebra’s R402 printer, PDC’s Smart Band, and specialized software components, help reduce these errors, which are often caused by misidentification.
Zebra’s R402 printer will deliver the enhanced tracking, and authenticating benefits of RFID technology by reading, encoding and verifying information programmed to the ultra-thin RFID transponder embedded inside the wristband. Storing information in the transponder creates a portable data file and reduces the need for network access to retrieve information from a remote database.
“This revolutionary technology enables our customers to change and update data repeatedly throughout the life of the RFID smart label, while benefiting from the reliability and durability of a Zebra printer,” says Jim Young, senior manager of alliance development for Zebra. “Because RFID technology uses radio waves, smart labels can be read and written through bed coverings, clothing, and the human body. This allows hospital staff to easily and accurately check prescribed dosage, streamline account/ medical data, track patient location through portal readers, and many other applications.”
Zebra’s R402 printer/encoder is one of the first printers to support the new ISO-15693 RFID standard. It also supports a full range of transponder antenna sizes and has the smallest footprint of any RFID printer and encoder in the industry. When needed, the R402 also can print bar codes, human- readable text, and graphics on PDC’s Smart Band surface.
The wristband is available with either Tag-It or I-Code transponders that utilize passive 13.56 MHz RFID technology and do not require a battery. The wristband features a unique serial number on each chip and programmable read/write memory that can be repeatedly updated.
“By combining the traditional benefits of bar code technology with the non-contact, non-line of sight interface of RFID, we’re confident that Zebra’s R402 printer/encoder will open up many possible applications, including positive patient identification,” says James Bensman, market development manager for PDC’s Smart Band. “This new collaboration will benefit users by making it easier to issue a credential that will become a personal dynamic database.”
About Zebra Technologies
Zebra Technologies (Nasdaq: ZBRA) delivers innovative and reliable on-demand printing solutions for business improvement and security applications in 90 countries around the world. More than 90% of Fortune 500 companies use Zebra(R)-brand printers. A broad range of applications benefit from Zebra-brand thermal bar code, “smart” label and receipt printers, and Eltron(R)-brand card printers, resulting in enhanced security, increased productivity, improved quality, lower costs, and better customer service. The company has an installed base of more than two million printers, including RFID printer/encoders and wireless mobile solutions, and also offers software, connectivity solutions, and printing supplies. Information about Zebra bar code products can be found at http://www.zebra.com . The company’s Web site for thermal printing supplies is http://www.zipzebra.com .
About Precision Dynamics Corp.
PDC is a privately held manufacturer with ISO-9001 certification. The company is a forerunner in automatic identification technology, having introduced the first patient bar code ID wristband in 1984 and radio frequency identification (RFID) wristbands in 2000. In addition to its expanding line of identification products, PDC also provides premium healthcare products for labor and delivery, urology, and other applications. The company has facilities in San Fernando, California and Belleville, Kansas.
