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SysLogic receives $1.4 million federal grant [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel](Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (WI) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Oct. 26--A public/private group aiming to use Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to make safer the collection, manufacturing and transfusion of blood products said Monday it has received a $1.4 million federal grant. The National Institutes of Health grant was awarded to SysLogic Inc., the BloodCenter of Wisconsin and the University of Wisconsin -- Madison RFID Lab, according to press releases from SysLogic and UW-Madison. It will help fund the second phase of a project the group says represents the first-ever research into clinical and financial benefits of using RFID technology for automatic identification, tracking and status-monitoring of blood and blood products from collection to delivery to patients. "The key for these public private partnerships is the brains and research and science come out of academic and research institutions, and they partner with companies like us to create the solutions and the systems that we can bring to market," said Tina Chang, SysLogic's chief executive officer. Data from the first phase of the RFID project published earlier this month in the Journal of Healthcare Information Management suggested using RFID technology could improve productivity and safety in the blood supply chain, the release said. RFID technology uses tags that contain silicon chips and antennas that allow them to receive and transmit information using radio waves. Projects like this combine the resources of academic research and private-sector expertise help enhance economic development, said Tom Still, president of the Wisconsin Technology Council. "These types of grants help drive research that will in many cases lead to game-changing technologies," Still said. To see more of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.jsonline.com. Copyright (c) 2009, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |