By Joe Goldeen
The Stockton Record
Copyright 2007 The Record
STOCKTON, Calif. — A Stockton woman has created a wristband that does more than convey a simple message.
It contains a computer storage device programmed to provide emergency medical and law enforcement personnel with personal information such as health conditions, doctors and prescription medications and, in the case of children, a current photo and fingerprint identification.
“It’s an attractive wristband you can wear every day whether you have a medical condition or not,” entrepreneur Maria Giovannoni said of her patent-pending invention called my-bands.
Longtime Stockton pharmacist Charlie Green said the concept is unique and well-timed.
“There’s been a lot of interest” in the wristbands from his customers since his two Green Bros. Pharmacies started carrying the product the past few months, Green said.
The water-resistant, silicone wristband contains a USB flash mass storage device loaded with a universal file that can be read by any personal computer, including Apple. No additional software is required.
The built-in program includes four pages of questions to answer that include personal identification and emergency contact information.
Stressing the need for medical personnel to know what drugs a person is taking, Giovannoni cited a 2004 study from the Institute of Medicine noting that 98,000 Americans died from drug interactions while in hospital emergency rooms.
“Those are unnecessary deaths,” she said.
Under the my-bands brand, there are three versions of the wristband in a variety of sizes to fit securely on each individual’s wrist.
—The my-med version holds personal medical information that can prove critical if a person is incapacitated, or it can be used to let your physician know what your current medications are. The my-med wristband comes in red, black and white.
—The my-id version is geared toward kids and has capacity to hold emergency contacts, a current photo and a scanned fingerprint in the event the child becomes lost or disoriented. It comes in blue, green and pink.
—The my-med breast-cancer awareness wristband comes in pink only and is similar to the regular my-med version. Giovannoni said 10 percent of each sale is donated to further breast-cancer initiatives.
The wristbands sell for $29.99 and include simple instructions. Giovannoni said no computer skills are necessary, just access to a computer with a USB port to input your personal information.
Danielle White has had her my-bands writstband for about a month. An avid runner, she often goes out alone and said it provides her with an added sense of security.
“It’s really an interesting piece, because if you’re out running and anything happens to you, someone can take it off and hook it up to their computer and find out about you — medical information, personal information. It’s very easy to use. I still have more information to add to mine,” White said.
She learned about the wristband through her employer, Fleet Feet, a north Stockton running store that recently featured my-bands as its Item of the Week.
“They’re selling very well,” White said.
Giovannoni is keeping busy marketing the wristband nationally and promoting it through her Web site, www.my-bandsonline.com, where it also can be purchased.
She’s also getting the word out to first responders such as American Medical Response, a nationwide provider of ambulance services, and law enforcement to be aware of the wristbands and the critical information they contain.
“They came to us, and it sounded pretty cool,” said Lt. Tom Jernigan with the Stockton Police Department.
“We put out a directive to all our officers to be aware of it. I think it will have more benefit for the medical field. For us, if they can get kids to wear them, then it will be another tool for missing persons. I think it will be good thing,” Jernigan said.
The spark for the product came to Giovannoni about six years ago, when her mother suddenly became incapacitated and required emergency brain surgery. With her mother unable to speak for herself and the emotional distress of dealing with a sudden medical emergency, it was very difficult for the family to provide critical medical details in a timely fashion for the doctors.
“I realized there was no product out there that would allow her to speak for herself. I was up 24 hours a day researching. Once I had the idea, I found a manufacturer and talked to doctors, nurses and other emergency responders. I researched HIPAA (medical privacy) laws and got help from my husband, who’s in the legal technology field,” Giovannoni said.
While it’s not the first product of its kind, other wristbands — such as one from Imation that has been discontinued — weren’t as stylish or tended to fall off too easily.
“Ours is triangular-shaped so it will stay on the wrist like a watch. I have a jewelry background, so I know something about design,” Giovannoni said.
In addition to medical information, users can put in such information as passport numbers, and hotel and travel details when they’re temporarily away from home; immunization and surgical records; allergies; identifying body marks; the need for removable dental or hearing appliances; restrictions on blood transfusions; religious preference; and family medical history.
“The possibilities are endless,” said Amerigo Giovannoni, the inventor’s father, who is assisting her in promoting the product.
“People always think, ‘It’s not going to happen to me,’ and that’s the last thing you should think,” Maria Giovannoni said. “We’re a generation of movers and doers. We’re a generation that’s always on the go. We have to change with the times, and we have the technology to do it.”
Even though the wristband — manufactured for Giovannoni in China — is fairly new on the market, it already has caught the attention of some national and international companies. For that reason, Giovannoni said she is reluctant to talk about sales figures or plans for the future.