CenTrak Acquires Important Patent For Dual Infrared/Radio Frequency (IR/RF) Technology; IR/RF Approach Enables 100% Room-Level Location Accuracy

CenTrak, Inc., a leading provider of Real-Time Locations Systems (RTLS) for tracking equipment and people indoors, recently announced that it has strengthened its intellectual property portfolio with the addition of an important patent for dual Infrared/Radio Frequency (IR/RF) location technology. This dual technology approach allows 100% room-level and even bed-level location accuracy, capabilities not achievable with RF-only systems, like WiFi-based RTLS.

"This new patent allows CenTrak to deliver what our customers are asking for - 100% accurate room- and bed-level accuracy, so they can enable important workflow process improvements, automated bed availability software and patient throughput analytic tools" said Ari Naim, CEO of CenTrak. "In our experience, hospitals using InTouchCare RTLS systems see a significant return on their RTLS investment and we believe this improved IR/RF technology will further enhance our system's accuracy, effectiveness and use across the healthcare industry."

CenTrak's InTouchCare systems use monitors that are placed in various hospital areas (for example, patient rooms, hallways and treatment bays). Each monitor emits a unique IR signal that is received by the system's tags, enabling InTouchCare to track each tag's exact location over time. So every time the system "blinks", the InTouchCare Location Server receives the "what, where and when" of all the hospital's tracked equipment and patients. The InTouchCare technology creates a tracking system that does not require hospitals to estimate locations, but instead provides them with room-level and even bed-level tracking accuracy.

The InTouchCare system's innovative wire-free design and patented battery technology (the system's replaceable batteries last approximately five years) have made it a top choice of GE Healthcare and InTouchCare has already been installed in several hospitals. The system's simple installation and WiFi compatible central antennas offer hospitals maximum accuracy and scalability while minimizing cost and installation time.

"We were impressed with the technology advancement on two fronts," said Kenneth N. Sable, MD, FACEP, Director, Division of Informatics, Emergency Department at the Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. "The ability to create ‘virtual walls' in the often wide open environment of the emergency department, will enable us to quickly and reliably locate both patients as well as life-saving equipment such as cardiac defibrillators and portable ultrasound machines. Additionally, this product is battery powered and requires no additional wiring, making it an extremely low maintenance solution."

About CenTrak
CenTrak is a leading provider of precise, adaptable, and cost-effective tracking solutions for healthcare, commercial, and industrial facilities. The company develops and markets Active-RFID network products used for tracking people and assets in real time, enabling greater workflow efficiency, asset utilization, and higher overall security. The patented InTouch Care Real Time Location System (RTLS) offers breakthrough performance and cost advantages that had been previously unattainable. It is the first predominantly battery-powered Active RFID network system in the world and it is currently operating in several world-class healthcare sites in the United States. For more information about CenTrak, visit its Web site at: ' www.centrak.com.

SOURCE: CenTrak