Mayo Clinic, a nonprofit organization based in Rochester, Minn., and Gentag, a wearable biosensor company based in Washington, D.C., have reached an agreement to develop the next generation of wearable biosensors designed to fight obesity and diabetes.

"We are hoping that this technology will be game-changer. These patch biosensors may help us reduce global obesity and diabetes," said James Levine, M.D., Ph.D., a Mayo Clinic endocrinologist and obesity researcher. "They are accurate, inexpensive and can be integrated into the care people receive."

The wearable patch sensors are the size of a small bandage and are designed to be painless, wireless and disposable. In the bandage is a sensor that communicates via a closed-loop diabetes management system which is compatible with cell phones. The system will allow researchers to monitor movement and develop treatments for obesity and related conditions.

A joint intellectual property (IP) agreement with Mayo Clinic made the R&D of this tool possible. Gentag signed a patent pooling agreement with Mayo Clinic for the management of IP related to wearable patch sensor and wireless communication technologies. Certain patent rights and technologies of both Mayo Clinic and Gentag will be combined and commercialized.

The two firms will collaborate with third parties under license to bring Mayo Clinic's experience in medicine and clinical practices to the public by the development of the next generation of wearable skin patch technologies from Gentag in the areas of diabetes and obesity management. More than 50 issued patents and technologies are being offered for licensing under the agreement.

Additionally, Mayo's Micro-Miniature Transceiver chip will be combined with Gentag's radar-responsive tag technology and integrated under license to create a new type of communication chip that will combine Near Field Communication (NFC), Body Area Networks (BAN) and long-range wireless communication and geolocation.