News

7 April 2009

 

Micromem agrees $77m deal to supply GaAs-based sensors for washable keyboards

After signing a joint development agreement for collaborative research last November, fabless semiconductor firm Micromem Technologies Inc of Toronto, Canada has announced a manufacturing supply agreement for its New York-based US subsidiary Micromem Applied Sensor Technologies Inc (MASTInc) to supply about 5 million keyboard circuits incorporating Micromem's patented GaAs-based Hall-effect magnetic sensor technology to Unotron Inc. MASTInc expects the agreement to yield about $77m in revenue over the next five years, including $5m in 2009.

Unotron designs and manufactures washable data input and security devices that can be easily cleaned and disinfected to mitigate the spread of infection in healthcare, education, commercial and government environments. Its patented SpillSeal protection allows keyboards to become fully submerged in water or antibacterial solutions for disinfecting. Adoption is being driven by warnings of a rise in infections related to super-bugs. The washable wireless keyboards and mouse units are compatible with all PCs, including desktops, laptops, workstations and servers, as well as all healthcare and dental carts and platforms.

MASTInc plans to design, manufacture and ship product to Unotron using patented three-dimensional statistical manufacturing processes incorporating Micromem’s magnetic sensors. Unotron is integrating and deploying the Hall sensor technology into its new line of SoftKey medical-grade washable keyboards - exhibited at this week’s Health Information and Management System Society (HiMSS) conference in Chicago, IL, USA (4-8 April) - as well as upcoming production projects.

“Micromem’s sensor technology will provide significantly enhanced sensitivity to the array of magnets per key on the computer keyboard,” says Unotron's VP of product development Paul Freeman. “This technique, which changes the rules on how circuits are printed, oriented and positioned within a consumer or military product, will incorporate Micromem’s patented magnetic sensor technology,” he adds. “The new form factor releases Unotron to increase our market share and provide access to new markets, since this manufacturing process eliminate the inherent high cost of traditional printed circuit boards.”

“This relationship with Unotron not only significantly impacts our sales, but also springboards our position in the computer technology marketplace,” says MASTInc’s president Steven Van Fleet, noting that the personal computer technology market hit 1 billion users worldwide last June, with expectations to add another billion by 2014. With Unotron as a partner, MASTInc’s Hall sensor technology may also have applications for laptops, tablet PCs and pocket PCs, he adds.

Micromem’s highly sensitive magnetic sensor technology, which has evolved from more than seven years of R&D, has broad-based applications across a wide range of industries and sectors. Its magnetic Hall sensors will be used in the manufacturing of all Unotron SoftKey keyboards in a variety of designs and sizes.

“We believe that the sensitivity and size of our Hall sensor technology combined with the advanced technology from Unotron will result in extensive market opportunities for Micromem throughout the medical and healthcare industries and beyond,” says Micromem’s CEO Joseph Fuda. “This relationship with Unotron is a game-changer for our company as it’s an entry point into a largely untapped marketplace,” he adds.

“MASTInc technology may also represent a breakthrough in the manufacturing of new Unotron products such as kiosks, ATMs, and other key pad technologies, while still allowing the electronic components to be completely sealed to keep out water and germs,” concludes Van Fleet.

See related items:

Micromem signs magnetic sensor JDAs technology for keyboard and mining applications

Micromem ships first production-level GaAs Hall sensor for client testing

Search: Micromem GaAs-based Hall-effect magnetic sensor GaAs

Visit: www.unotron.com

Visit: www.micromeminc.com

Visit: www.mastinc.com