Electronic Identification

Industry / Product Overview

Destron Fearing is the pioneer and holds worldwide patents for syringe injectable, miniaturised microchip technology for injection under the skin of animals. The products and technology Destron Fearing manufactures and markets to the animal identification industry as LifeChip have developed dramatically since their origination. Destron's product line includes a variety of radio frequency microchips or "tags", portable readers, stationary readers, DigiTag® and e.Tag® for livestock, and microchip injecting devices. LifeChip products function generally as a data acquisition "front end" part of a total information system produced by a systems integrator for a particular application. Future product enhancements will extend beyond the recently released BioThermo temperature sensing microchips and will include sophisticated advances such as blood glucose monitoring and new scanning systems that extend the capabilities of these products while integrating them with animal management systems.

Two decades ago, bar code technology revolutionised the way goods and merchandise were identified, priced and inventoried. Bar coding rapidly became an integral part of modern business, providing a firm foundation for the concept of automatic identification. However, bar code technology is limited in its application by the need for an unobstructed line-of-sight or physical contact between the bar code and the reader. These reading systems cannot function in many environmental conditions and most labels deteriorate with time.

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) eliminates this limitation. RFID technology identifies an object remotely through the use of radio frequencies and microchips last indefinitely. Because RFID codes can be read without line-of-sight or physical contact, RFID technology provides a solution to certain difficult identification problems which bar code technology cannot address.

Strategic Partners

Destron Fearing Corporation's marketing partners provide world wide presence and market penetration needed to address the needs of the animal identification industry. The partners marketing Destron Fearing's Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) products to the following markets include:

• Digivet.com Pty Ltd marketing and Petsafe database in Australia
• Dainippon Pharmaceutical Co. Inc marketing LifeChip™ in Japan
• Identipet in South Africa
• Merial marketing Indexel™ in parts of Europe
• HomeAgain Pet Recovery Service database managed by HomeAgain Pet Recovery Service
• Animal Care Ltd marketing Identichip™ in the United Kingdom

Electronic Product Line Overview

The basis of Destron's LifeChip technology is a proprietary microchip, incorporating passive (inductively powered) radio frequency technology, coupled with corresponding scanning devices. Electronic microchips and associated reading and scanning systems are offered in a number of versions, each adapted for use in particular applications in the animal industry. Further information on available scanners and readers can be found by following the links to Livestock and Companion Animals.