RFID Skin Patches Designed to Be Sold, Used for Mitigating Medical Errors

On Monday, Gentag, Inc. announced that the technology development company has entered into a strategic alliance with healthcare products manufacturer Frank Sammeroff, Ltd. in order to produce what are described as smart, wireless, RFID (radio frequency identification) skin patches that are intended to greatly mitigate the occurrence of medical errors.

The skin patches can be written on with pens or via transmittable electronic means, and are intended to facilitate extremely accurate identification and diagnostic applications.

Disposable, the patches are said to be wash-proof, thin, and comfortable.

The partnered companies expect large global sales to be made to health care providers, hospitals, and other places and businesses that have a lot of responsibility for people's safety and welfare such as amusement parks.

The patented technology combines "disposable skin patches with RFID tags and cell phones and will allow physicians and nurses to use their cell phones or wireless PDAs to update medical charts, time of patient visit, drug administration, and also be immediately warned about possible drug interactions, prior to drug delivery," explained Dr. John Peeters, the founder of Gentag.

Some people who are concerned with conspiracy theories and the cutting away of Americans' freedoms and rights by the federal government have been troubled for many years by the hypothetical development and widespread use of RFID patches or subcutaneously implanted chips that could be made to contain far too much personal information for somebody to steal, or which could be reprogrammed from afar to act as human remote control devices.

After enormous public outcry against the practice, a pilot program involving the use of RFID-tagged consumer goods intended to deter shoplifting was halted about two years ago.