Archive for April 28th, 2009
VeriChip Corporation’s Healthcare Division Expands Existing Development Partnership with RECEPTORS LLC to Include New Biological and Environmental Sensor Applications
Expansion of Partnership Is A Direct Result of Recent Swine Flu Outbreak and RECEPTORS’ Recently Issued “Methods of Making Arrays and Artificial Receptors” Patent No. 7,504,364 and “Sensors Employing Combinatorial Artificial Receptors” Patent No. 7,469,076
Partners believe that unique intellectual property can lead to chemical isolation and detection of certain biological threats including, but not limited to, Swine Flu
DELRAY BEACH, FL, and CHASKA, MN – April 28, 2009 – VeriChip Corporation (“VeriChip”) (NASDAQ: CHIP) and its development partner RECEPTORS LLC, a technology company whose AFFINITY by DESIGN™ chemistry platform can be applied to the development of selective binding products, announced today that they are expanding their existing development partnership, beyond the glucose-sensing RFID implantable microchip to include other biological and environmental applications, both in combination with RFID technology and without. The partners recently executed a Memorandum of Understanding relating to the expansion.
In November 2008, VeriChip purchased all intellectual property related to implantable human RFID and sensor technologies including, but not limited to, Patent No. 7,125,382 entitled “Embedded Bio-Sensor System” from Digital Angel Corporation. That patent is currently being utilized in connection with VeriChip’s and RECEPTORS’ efforts to jointly develop a glucose-sensing device. RECEPTORS recently received Patent No. 7,504,364 titled “Methods of Making Arrays and Artificial Receptors” and Patent No. 7,469,076 “Sensors Employing Combinatorial Artificial Receptors.” RECEPTORS’ patents are currently being applied to the development of diagnostic and sensor platforms for microbial pathogens and other biological threats.
Scott R. Silverman, Chairman of VeriChip, said, “When VeriChip purchased certain intellectual property from Digital Angel Corporation in November 2008, we already envisioned the evolution of our RFID technology from identification to biological applications. This vision began in January 2008, when we first partnered with RECEPTORS to develop a glucose-sensing RFID microchip. Now, with RECEPTORS’ new patents for Methods of Making Arrays and Artificial Receptors and Sensors Employing Combinatorial Artificial Receptors, we believe we can broadly expand these sensor applications to many biological agents and the environment.”
About RECEPTORS LLC
RECEPTORS LLC is a private company based in Chaska, Minnesota. RECEPTORS’ mission is to advance the diagnosis and treatment of disease and to enhance the health, safety, and quality of the global environment through the development and application of artificial receptor products for both research and industry. To achieve this mission, RECEPTORS focuses its individual and collective efforts, its commitment to excellence, and the power of its technology to develop innovative solutions that meet the unique needs of its customers and stakeholders. For further information please visit http://www.receptorsllc.com.
About VeriChip
VeriChip Corporation, headquartered in Delray Beach, Florida, has developed the VeriMed™ Health Link System for rapidly and accurately identifying people who arrive in an emergency room and are unable to communicate. This system uses the first human-implantable passive RFID microchip, cleared for medical use in October 2004 by the United States Food and Drug Administration. To complement its healthcare division, VeriChip Corporation established VeriGreen Energy Corporation in March 2009 to focus and invest in the clean and alternative energy sector.
For more information on VeriChip, please call 1-800-970-2447, or e-mail info@verichipcorp.com. Additional information can be found online at www.verichipcorp.com.
| Vigilante 502 Unmanned Helicopter |
| + Max Weight: 1100 pounds + Length: 26 feet + Rotor Diameter: 23 feet + Top Speed: 117 mph + Payload: 150 pounds + Fuel Capacity: 36 gallons + Flight Time:6-plus hours |
| RND Manufacturing Edge 2000 Rifle |
| + Cartridge: Lapua Magnum .338 + Weight: 14 pounds + Action: Gas-operated semiautomatic + Muzzle Velocity: 3000 feet per second with 250-grain bullet + Rate of Fire: Up to 10 carefully aimed shots per minute + Ammunition Cost: $4 per round |
In modern warfare, the advantage often goes to guerrillas who can attack, then quickly hide among the population or disappear into the hills. To counter those tactics, the Pentagon since 2001 has been arming unmanned aerial vehicles to identify and destroy targets with missiles. The Defense Department is seeking weapons for UAVs that can strike enemies but limit collateral damage, especially in cities.
The Army’s solution is the Autonomous Rotorcraft Sniper System (ARSS), a small, unmanned helicopter equipped with a powerful .338-caliber rifle. An autopilot system handles the tricky business of flying while the operator lines up the kill shot on a remote monitor.
The Army ground-tested the rifle’s turret on a Vigilante unmanned helicopter to evaluate its accuracy. The turret-controlhardware and flight-control algorithms will be refined to make shots more accurate before airborne testing begins in July. The program’s heads say the airborne robo-sniper idea was put forward five years ago, but only became practical when Utah State University’s Space Dynamics Laboratory designed a lightweight, stabilized turret. Users control it with an adapted Xbox 360 controller. The same turret could be used on unmanned fixed-wing aircraft such as the Predator or Reaper and could also allow ground robots to fire on the move.
Other Possible Weapons for the ARSS
+ M249 5.56-mm squad automatic weapon, a small-caliber machine gun
+ M240 7.62-mm machine gun, a weapon used by the U.S. and NATO
+ AA-12 12-gauge, a full-auto shotgun
+ Peak Beam Immobilizer, a xenon strobe light that stuns targets with “psycho-physical” effects like disorientation and nausea
A container of flu virus samples packed in dry ice exploded on a Swiss train, injuring one person but posing no other risks to humans, police said on Tuesday. Skip related content
The box held vials of swine flu virus, although a different strain than the H1N1 variety that has caused about 150 deaths in Mexico and infected people in the United States, Canada, Spain and Britain.
A technician was transporting the container on Monday night to the Swiss national flu centre in Geneva, where scientists are developing a flu test for humans, police said.
One woman was hurt when the box exploded in reaction to the dry ice used to keep the samples cold.
After consulting virus specialists, the police decided to stop the St. Gallen to Geneva train before it entered the station in Lausanne.
The virus specialists confirmed that the samples being transported posed no risks to humans, police said.
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