Panthronics' PTX100W enables reliable NFC charging of impact-sensing mouthguard

Panthronics AG, a fabless semiconductor company specializing in high performance wireless technology, revealed that wearable device manufacturer Prevent Biometrics has adopted Panthronics' NFC wireless charging solution in the next generation of its innovative head impact monitoring product.

The solution, based on Panthronics' PTX100W NFC Charger IC, offers the market's best charging performance when the coil in the charger (or 'poller') and in the charged device (or 'listener') are imperfectly aligned.

Minneapolis, US-based Prevent Biometrics manufactures the Prevent Impact Monitoring Mouthguard (IMM). Prevent's head impact monitoring system is the market leading solution for accurately tracking head impacts in sports and the military. Worn by athletes in contact sports such as rugby, hockey, lacrosse and football, and by soldiers in training activities, the mouthguard measures the intensity, frequency, location and angle of impacts to the head. This enables organizations to monitor the level of head impacts which take place, and to identify individuals who have sustained a large impact or a high number of impacts to better manage their risk of concussion.

The mouthguard includes the sensor system, Bluetooth connectivity and the wireless charging system on a PCB embedded in the mouthguard.

By using the Panthronics PTX100W in the charging case, Prevent Biometrics is able to maintain optimal charging performance when the coils are misaligned, even if they are as much as 13mm apart. Mike Shogren, Chief Executive Officer at Prevent Biometrics, said: 'Rigorous evaluation of the PTX100W in pre-development indicated that it offered better out-of-alignment performance than any other commercial NFC charger IC. Final production samples validate our promise that customers will get reliable wireless charging with the new Prevent IMM, thanks to the PTX100W.