Maxell Announces New Addition to RFID-Embedded Test Tube Product Family

[June 16, 2004]

Maxell Announces New Addition to RFID-Embedded Test Tube Product Family

FAIR LAWN, N.J. --(Business Wire)-- June 16, 2004 --

Maxell's Coil-on-Chip 13.56 MHz RFID Technology Helps Enhance Clinical Trials, Facilitate Regulatory Compliance, and Ensure Patient Safety

Maxell Corporation of America today announced the newest member of its RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) embedded test tube product family. The new test tube form factor features a removable bottom component encapsulating a rewritable RFID chip.

Maxell's RFID technology (http://www.maxell.com/Home/rfid/main_RFID.html) enhances labeling accuracy, lowers error rates and processing costs in laboratory automation, reduces data entry errors, ensures sample integrity, and supports chain of custody, archiving and electronic record keeping requirements (e.g. 21 CFR Part 11) of clinical trials. The RFID-embedded test tubes also provide the new ability to write and re-write data, which presents significant cost savings to high-volume diagnostic laboratories and clinical trial providers.

The use of RFID technology also provides advantages over traditional identification methods such as bar codes, including enhanced security and the ability to read data without requiring direct line of sight. RFID is ideal for use in applications where a label-based bar code may be contaminated by environmental or testing conditions.

According to the National Institute of Medicine, it is estimated that 100,000 patients die each year due to medical errors, including mislabeled pharmaceuticals. "Many people are familiar with the potential of RFID through highly publicized supplier mandates, like Wal-Mart," said Dr. Satoshi Kawamura, general manager of Maxell's Electronics Device Division. "However, Maxell believes that a better measurement of the true potential for RFID lies in how it is helping to save people's lives ... many of these errors can be eliminated through the use of RFID."

During the life cycle of the test tube, information regarding its contents such as reagents, sample data, patient identification, or other figures are written onto the RFID chip and extracted for use as required. After processing, the data stored in the RFID chip in the removable bottom unit can be either erased or saved for archiving and the larger test tube section is either disposed or sterilized for reuse.

Maxell's new test tube system is designed for a standard test tube rack, holding 96 individual test tubes. It has a USB interface and can scan all 96 test tubes within 36 seconds. Maxell is targeting a five-second read time in future releases.

Maxell is working with Kobe Bio Robotix of Japan, a leading test tube supplier, and Tsubakimoto Chain of Japan, a test tube archive system manufacturer, to bring the new test tubes to market.

"Driven by new Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines and internal quality initiatives to improve patient safety, pharmaceutical manufacturers are looking to enlist new technologies like RFID to facilitate these mandates," said Rumi Kitatate, marketing manager for the New Product Development Group of Maxell Corporation of America. "We are striving to work with U.S. based pharmaceutical companies and laboratories, including areas where Maxell RFID can provide significant advantages over bar codes or other identification means because of its unique form factor and size advantage."

Maxell is currently looking for partners and systems integrators in the United States for its RFID test tubes and to explore other means in which RFID can benefit healthcare, pharmaceutical, and laboratory applications. These companies can contact Rumi Kitatate at Maxell at 201-794-5900.

ABOUT MAXELL CORPORATION OF AMERICA

Maxell Corporation of America was founded in 1964 and is a subsidiary of Hitachi Maxell, Ltd a world leader in memory, storage, and security technologies. The company is dedicated to advancing the ever-changing world of electronics by harnessing advancing technology to develop economical RFID solutions. As part of its mission to reinforce the areas of memory and mobility, Maxell supports the multimedia arena with a wide range of media products from DLT Tape to CD and DVD disks. Maxell is also a leader in industrial batteries. For further information on Maxell RFID products please contact Rumi Kitatate at Maxell Corporation of America rfid@maxell.com or visit http://www.maxell.com

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]

Discussions: