Integral Technologies has completed a license agreement with one of its customers based on its patented ElectriPlast Technology, patent number 7,317,420 for antennas. As a result, one of North America’s hearing aid companies will be designing new antenna concepts in order to enhance its product line.
Integral said that at the request of the customer its name will not be published so as to enhance its competitive advantage in utilizing ElectriPlast.
Traditional metal designs for antennas have been in use since wireless communications began but offer little, if any, design flexibility. In contrast, ElectriPlast allows a design engineer the utmost freedom in designing new products or enhancing current designs.
The reasons are two-fold. First, ElectriPlast can be extruded, molded or over-molded. Second, the antenna on the wireless device using ElectriPlast no longer needs to be encased in the device, but instead can reside outside the body of the device, designed either as a monopole or dipole antenna. This gives the engineer the unique ability to dramatically increase the antenna’s signal strength regardless of the device’s overall design.
Integral also said that it is in negotiations with several antenna companies and expects more licenses on its antenna patents.
Integral Technologies is a developer of electrically conductive resin-based material called ElectriPlast. Various examples of industries where ElectriPlast can be used are antennas, shielding, lighting, circuitry, switch actuators, resistors, and medical devices.