Inovonics Delivers Passive Wireless Sensor for Monitoring Senior Care Resident Activity

LOUISVILLE, Colo., Nov. 1, 2010 /PRNewswire/ --Inovonics (http://www.inovonics.com), the industry leader in high-performance wireless sensor networks for commercial and life safety applications, today announced the release of the EN1240 activity sensor, a wireless sensor solution designed specifically to meet the unique needs of senior care facilities. Based on trusted motion-sensing technology, the EN1240 offers a significant advancement over other alternative approaches for life safety monitoring by improving senior care daily check-in, boosting system reliability and performance, especially in large installations, and providing significant cost savings.

Unlike other offerings in the market that require a resident to push a button or open a door to initiate a daily check-in, the Inovonics EN1240 activity sensor is distinctive in that it enables passive detection of activity with an extended sleep timer that reduces unwanted radio frequency traffic in large installations. Not only does this automate the daily check-in procedure, eliminating the need for the resident to perform a check-in activity, but it dramatically reduces the number of unwanted alarm signals, one of the largest offenders of excessive alarm traffic which can impact a wireless system.

"Inovonics is committed to providing innovative wireless solutions that positively impact seniors' lives and ensure their safety and security," said Mark Jarman, president of Inovonics. "The EN1240 activity sensor provides peace of mind for both residents and caregivers and is designed specifically with the unique needs of senior living facilities in mind that require daily resident check-in and monitoring. In addition, our resellers and integrators will appreciate the increase in system performance and reliability, especially in large installations, as well as the cost savings they can realize compared to existing solutions."

The EN1240 utilizes a proven method of sensing resident activity coupled with a sleep timer that will alert the system of a resident's activity if it occurs prior to the system check-in period. For example, if a resident wakes and leaves their residence at 5 a.m., but the check-in period is 6 a.m.-11 a.m., the EN1240 will continue communicating the activity alarm throughout its sleep cycle to ensure the system recognizes that the resident was active. The unique sleep timer reduces unwanted alarm signals throughout the day, compared to using a traditional motion sensor which frequently is set off inadvertently, creating unwarranted alarms. In large sensor systems which may have hundreds or thousands of wireless devices, a traditional motion sensor is one of the largest offenders of excessive alarm traffic. By using the EN1240, RF traffic is reduced by an estimated 90 percent when compared to a traditional wireless motion sensor network, thereby ensuring the exceptional performance of the entire Inovonics wireless network.  

Key benefits of the EN1240 activity sensor include:

• Passive activity monitoring: Eliminates senior care residents from having to actively check-in with staff on a daily basis giving them more independence, yet providing for a safe, secure environment.
• Allows for discreet monitoring: Maintains each patient's dignity and right to anonymity while simultaneously ensuring patient safety.
• Unique sleep timer: Reduces unwanted signals (RF traffic) by up to 90 percent. Especially valuable for large systems with hundreds or thousands of wireless devices where excessive alarm traffic can occur frequently.
• Maximizes staff utilization and efficiencies: Results in increased availability of nurses and other staff to perform their intended jobs – providing care to residents in need.
• Extended battery life: Providing unsurpassed performance for up to 4 years.

"The EN1240 addresses a significant gap in today's senior care living marketplace," explained Rich Martini, founder at Sani-Med (http://www.inovonics.com). "It is the first product we have found that offers a sleep timer, giving both the caregiver and resident a flexible, yet secure life safety protection approach. Together with our technology, the Inovonics EN1240 activity sensor offers senior housing providers the best solution for monitoring residents with greater efficiency and reliability – and with increased cost savings."

Delivery and Configurations:

Available now, the Inovonics EN1240 activity sensor comes with wall or ceiling mount hardware and an optional long-range corridor lens (sold separately).

For more information about Inovonics' EN1240 activity sensor, visit (www.inovonics.com/activitysensor.aspx) or join the conversation at (www.facebook.com/inovonicswireless).

About Inovonics Wireless Corporation

Inovonics is the industry leader in high-performance wireless sensor networks for commercial and life safety applications. Founded in 1986, the company pioneered the use of 900 MHz wireless technology to deliver the most reliable, cost-effective and flexible solutions for critical wireless applications. A leader in security and senior care markets, and the standard for multi-family submetering solutions, the Inovonics family of transmitters, receivers and control modules provides the wireless backbone for many of the world's most widely used wireless systems. Renowned for exceptional performance and reliability, more than 6.5 million Inovonics wireless systems have been deployed in the most challenging of commercial environments, where structural limitations and multiple wireless networks can prove disruptive to lower quality systems. Working with leading OEMs and service provider partners, Inovonics provides network design and system engineering support to continuously advance the use of wireless technologies for corporate, industrial, government and educational applications. For more information contact Inovonics at (www.inovonics.com), or call 800-782-2709.

SOURCE Inovonics