The Mayo Clinic and biosensor developer Gentag announced a partnership to develop a disposable, wireless patch to aid in the management and treatment of obesity and diabetes.
The Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic will share intellectual property with Gentag and perform the research and testing in its facilities. Gentag, which has U.S. headquarters in Washington, D.C., signed a patent-pooling agreement with Mayo, allowing for certain patents and rights to be combined and commercialized, according to a news release. Both parties will collaborate through third parties.
The proposed patch will be a disposable, painless sensor, designed to communicate in a closed-loop diabetes management system that will sync with cell phones. The system also allows for movement tracking, which could aid in addressing obesity, according to the news release.
Mayo's Micro-Miniature Transceiver chip will be used with Gentag's radar-responsive tag technology, combining Near Field Communication, Body Area Networks and long-range communication. The goal is to develop an inexpensive, accurate sensor to help treat two growing chronic conditions that cost the U.S. healthcare system significant resources, according to the news release.