Ynolis bracelet automatically detects when people fall

(22/06/2006)

Coronis, a French supplier of ultra-low-power and long-range wireless solutions, has integrated its Wavenis technology into the Ynolis® bracelet - a new product produced by Data Health System (DHS) that automatically detects when people fall, designed primarily for use in retirement homes.

The Ynolis product line, which was originally designed for use in retirement homes, includes a range of wristwatch bracelets that are connected to a central alarm unit via an ultra-low-power and long-range wireless network based on Coronis' Wavenis technology. When a person equipped with an Ynolis device falls, the bracelet sends an alarm automatically to a central unit, which then relays it immediately to care staff's pagers, who can react straight away. A main innovation in Ynolis is its ability to reliably discern the detection criteria that define a fall.

Ynolis is being launched after several months of testing at the Montpellier University Hospital (in south-east France) and at the Paris Centre d'Action Sociale (the social care services centre of the City of Paris). DHS is currently offering Ynolis directly to retirement homes at a cost of them of around €1 per day. The company is in the process of negotiating agreements with leading medical product distributors both in France and internationally.

Wavenis technology, which uses sophisticated wireless techniques and Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS) in licence-free 870MHz (Europe) and 915MHz (North America) bands, combines long range and ultra-low-power consumption (10µA on average, with one-second deterministic access time). It is robust against physical and electrical interference and is compatible with other wireless technologies, including those operating in 2.4GHz bands.

The fall-detection solution in Ynolis will soon be integrated, along with Wavenis, into a wristwatch with Swiss design and technology, thanks to a European Union Eureka programme. The new design will be available for people in the home starting in 2007. Ynolis has also received the Grand Prize in the Pan-European Innovation Contest.

Wavenis is a wireless technology, optimised for battery-powered devices requiring a long life. Under equivalent operating conditions other standard technologies reach from 10 to 20 metres, while Wavenis reaches over 200 metres. This makes it possible to deploy very lightweight network infrastructure, frequently without repeaters.

"After rigorously assessing each of the solutions that were on offer, the decision was quickly made to opt for Coronis' Wavenis technology," explains Dr Charles-Antoine Roussy, CEO and founder of Data Health System. "Today Wavenis offers the best price/performance ratio on the market. With it, Ynolis can reach several hundred metres and offer a battery life of several months."

Related topics:  Fire, Health & Safety   Remote Monitoring and Surveillance   Security market sectors 

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