Ypsomed to offer NFC autoinjectors that let patients track medications with their mobile phone

YpsoMate
MEDICAL MONITOR: Ypsomed is using NFC technology in its new autoinjectors

NFC technology is to be included in a new range of autoinjectors for patients with conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis who need to self-administer their medication via regular injections, enabling them to use their mobile phone to keep track of the medications they have taken, receive alerts when their next injection is due and access usage guidelines and refill instructions.

Injection systems manufacturer Ypsomed Group is to integrate Thin Film Electronics’ NFC OpenSense technology into its YpsoMate autoinjector range and plans to invest more than 50 million Swiss francs (US$51.2m) in the coming years into the research and development of its next generation injections system.

“YpsoMate autoinjectors are disposable 2-step injection systems that house pre-filled glass or polymer syringes and are triggered by push-on-skin activation,” Ypsomed says. “Through the combination of the NFC OpenSense tags and a custom mobile app, patients will be able to receive valuable compliance assistance.

“NFC OpenSense tags are thin, flexible labels that can detect both the state before and after injection of YpsoMate Smart autoinjector, wirelessly deliver content to patients through the simple tap of a smartphone and record patients’ interactions with the YpsoMate Smart device in the cloud.”

Unique identifier

“Each tag contains a unique identifier that makes it possible to track every YpsoMate Smart to the individual-item level,” the company adds. “In addition, the tag remains active even after the factory seal has been broken, enabling an extended dialogue between patients, doctors and brands.”

“Ypsomed is constantly looking for new ways to improve its product platform offering,” says Simon Michel, CEO of Ypsomed. “We believe Thinfilm’s NFC OpenSense can be of significant value to YpsoMate users across the globe, and we look forward to leveraging this next generation technology to help improve patient adherence.”

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