QUASAR Selects Pinyon's AirWire Antenna for Its Wearable Wireless ECG Monitoring System

QUASAR Selects Pinyon's AirWire Antenna for Its Wearable Wireless ECG Monitoring System

Date:8/17/2009 3:30:00 PM

RENO, Nev. and SAN DIEGO, Aug. 17 // -- Pinyon Technologies, developer of unique antenna solutions based upon its patented AirWire(TM) technology, today announced that Quantum Applied Science & Research, Inc. (QUASAR) has selected Pinyon's AirWire Antenna for the QUASAR wearable wireless ECG monitoring system. QUASAR's patented non-contacting bioelectric sensing technology makes real-time monitoring of a person's vital signs a reality. The patented Pinyon AirWire antenna provides QUASAR the best performance when compared to other antennas that must be worn on the body to transmit the subject's vital sign data back to the system's base station.

"The increased sensitivity we get from Pinyon's AirWire antenna helps to overcome the losses we see when transmitting RF signals in close proximity to the body," said Marty Steindorf, QUASAR's digital systems manager. "Our first prototype, which used a 3-inch rubber duck antenna, would show a large number of lost packets when the body was between the ECG unit and the receiver. When we compared antennas for our next system, we found the AirWire outperformed a six-inch rubber duck antenna. Its smaller size makes it less cumbersome to wear than the alternatives and its increased sensitivity should increase the battery runtime of our instruments by reducing the number of failed transmission attempts."

QUASAR's breakthrough, non-contacting sensing technology is based on electrodes that do not require direct contact to the subject's skin surface. QUASAR's technology overcomes the shortcomings of direct contact electrodes that require skin preparation in advance, requiring application of pastes and gels to make electrical contact to the skin. These "wet" electrodes do not function well on subjects with high levels of activity such as running or walking, making them unsuitable for wearable wireless ECG monitoring systems.

"Pinyon's patented resonant slot PCB AirWire antenna measures 2 by 1.6 inches and is specifically designed to operate in noisy environments", said Debashis Bagchi, Pinyon Technologies' CEO. "Pinyon's AirWire antenna can achieve polarization diversity by capturing horizontally polarized signals which other antennas, such as the rubber duck type, completely ignore."

About Quantum Applied Science & Research, Inc. (QUASAR)
Quantum Applied Science & Research, Inc. (QUASAR) is a world leader in noninvasive biosensing systems. The Company builds on its revolutionary noninvasive sensors integrated with precision hardware and sophisticated, robust algorithms to produce systems that output information about cognitive and physiological states. QUASAR is known for innovative mounting schemes and interpretive algorithms optimized to customer specifications. Its current products offer world-class, reliable, cost-effective solutions with exceptional sensitivity and frequency response. A multi-million dollar annual R&D program, focused on applications, ensures rapid translation of our newest discoveries into robust commercial products. For more information, visit http://quasarusa.com/usa.

About Pinyon Technologies
Headquartered in Reno, Nev., Pinyon Technologies develops, designs and commercially sells antenna solutions based upon a unique, patented AirWire technology. Pinyon's unique AirWire technology is designed for WiFi, WiMax, Bluetooth, UWB and mobile applications. Pinyon's robust AirWire technology is adaptable to other wireless applications as the technology is scalable to multiple frequencies. AirWire is well suited for applications that require high gain in a noisy multipath environment. Pinyon's business model consists of licensing as well as manufacturing and selling antennas as end products based on the application. AirWire enhances applications that require the following features: high efficiency to maximize gain, customizable for precise radiation pattern control, real-time control for beam steering, current driven for scalability, and intrinsic band pass filtering to minimize noise. For more information, visit www.pinyontech.com.