Tracking Donated Blood with Radio-Frequency Labels
Fenwal now Exclusive Provider of Award-Winning Biolog-ID System
LAKE ZURICH, Ill., November 21, 2011 – Fenwal, Inc., a global medical technology company focused on improving blood collection, separation, safety and availability, announced today it has signed a five-year agreement with Biolog-id to exclusively market, sell and distribute the Biolog-id RFID (radio frequency identification) blood tracking and traceability system in Europe and the United States. The system is already CE Marked in Europe, and the companies plan to submit it for clearance to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The Biolog-id system provides comprehensive information about each blood unit following collection through transfusion with real-time data available to both the hospital and blood or plasma collection site. This aids in managing blood inventories, tracking temperature and storage conditions of each blood unit, and assuring the right blood unit is matched to a patient need.
The Biolog-id system uses radio waves to transfer and store data from the electronic labels, helping to prevent transfusion errors by eliminating manual steps and paper-based procedures. The system also enables blood centers and hospitals to work together more effectively to assure the right blood is available when needed by giving both organizations instant visibility to blood inventories all along the supply chain.
RFID technology offers advantages not available today with bar-code systems. RFID labels can be read through containers and multiple labels can be read simultaneously. Bar codes can be read only one at a time and must be in direct line of sight to the bar-code reader. Advances in RFID technology now allow tracking of environmental conditions such as temperature, which is important in transfusion medicine.
“RFID technology can improve the safety and efficiency of health care delivery, while reducing costs through better inventory management,” said Dean Gregory, senior VP, Global Commercial Operations, for Fenwal. “This is an important new tool for transfusion medicine. We are pleased to partner with Biolog-id and expand global access to a comprehensive RFID solution for blood tracking and traceability that can help improve safety and drive efficiency in the management and delivery of blood products.”
“Fenwal is a trusted name in transfusion medicine with a broad global reach,” said Jean-Claude Mongrenier, chairman and chief executive officer for Biolog-id. “As a leading innovator in blood technologies, Fenwal understands the need and value of RFID to transfusion medicine. We look forward to working with Fenwal to help improve health care safety and efficiency by making a comprehensive RFID solution for blood tracking and traceability more accessible.”
RFID Journal, a leading source of news and in-depth information regarding RFID and its business applications, recognized the Biolog-id RFID system as one of ten best new products featured at their 2011 exhibit this year.
About FenwalFenwal, Inc. is a global medical technology company focused on improving blood collection, filtration, separation, storage and transfusion to ensure the availability, safety and effectiveness of blood components. Fenwal is unique in the depth of its experience and commitment to transfusion medicine. The company offers the broadest range of products for the automated and manual collection of blood and blood components. Fenwal became an independent company in 2007, but its roots go back to 1949 with the founding of Fenwal Laboratories. Fenwal developed the first flexible, single-use container for blood collection, eliminating complications associated with glass containers and allowing blood to be separated into therapeutic components. Today, the company’s products and advanced collection and separation technologies are used to help treat patients on six continents. Fenwal, Inc. is based in Lake Zurich, Illinois. For more information, please visit
www.fenwalinc.com.
About Biolog-id
Biolog-id is a privately held company located in Bernay, France. The company provides identification and traceability solutions for life sciences specializing in RFID with more than 30 years of experience in the design and integration of electronic and mobile identification systems. For more information about Biolog-id please visit: www.biolog-id.com.