Coronis' Wavenis technology comes to the rescue when you fall

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.

“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.”

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 that offers very long-range communications with the lowest possible power consumption. It is 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.

About Data Health System (DHS)

Based in Nîmes, in south-east France, Data Health System SA designs, develops, and sells services dedicated to helping people, in particular elderly people. DHS services are based on very sophisticated miniaturised electronic devices. The company's activity revolves around three complementary sectors in the field of remote security: healthcare, the physical security of people, and the security of people's environments. DHS was founded at the end of 2002, under a research contract for the European Space Agency. The Nîmes European Business and Innovation Centre assisted DHS in its early phases.

Ynolis, the wristwatch bracelet that detects when people fall, is the first product released by DHS. The company is currently targeting institutions that take care of elderly and disabled people. Starting in 2007, Ynolis will be available for elderly people living at home, using a home-assistance platform such as Presence Verte or Europ Assistance. The exterior design of the Ynolis product will soon be enhanced with Swiss technology and design.

About Coronis Systems

Headquartered in Montpellier, in south-east France, Coronis Systems is a supplier of innovative wireless network-technology solutions for ultra-low-power and long-range applications. The company has created Wavenis®, a technology core for its RF transceiver and wireless communication protocol. Using Wavenis, Coronis has developed a complete line of wireless platforms for OEMs, meeting the technical, operational and cost requirements of ultra low-powered wireless mesh sensor networks. Coronis solutions are designed for system integrators and manufacturers. Coronis has over 650,000 Wavenis end-points deployed by major industrial players worldwide.