Wednesday, December 17, 2008

SBIR grant aids MysticMD’s RFID antenna development

By Mass High Tech staff

MysticMD Inc., a Groton, Conn.-based advanced materials firm, has received a $98,622 Phase 1 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Science Foundation to support the company’s screen printable conductive ink used in Radio Frequency Identification antennas. MysticMD will work with biometric identification and security developer Identica Holdings Corp. of Tampa, Fla.

These antennas are bendable and intended to cost 90 percent less than similar copper antennas, MysticMD officials report.

If the two companies find that Mystic MD’s conductive ink can feasibly work with Identica’s antennas, then they plan to pursue SBIR Phase 2 funding to make the antennas commercially viable.

Founded in 1982, the SBIR program encourages small business participation in research and development through the organization’s $100 million in grants.

MysticMD develops nanolite, its conductive coated polymer used to reduce the weight load of rechargeable batteries, and its LiTB, the company’s battery salts that are made to be cost efficient, conductive and stable.