Advertisement
The acquisition of U. S. Patent Number 6,099,319 strongly reinforces thecompany's leadership position atop the global neurological testing field.Since this seminal patent is central to the application of neuroimaging tomarketing, branding, and advertising testing, the acquisition providesNeuroFocus with the rights to extract commercial value from the use ofneuroimaging in these fields. In addition, the acquisition confers legalrights regarding any past or future unlicensed use of the patent.
Advertisement
In announcing the acquisition, Dr. A. K. Pradeep, Chief Executive Officeof NeuroFocus noted that, "This patent is the cornerstone of the entire fieldof neuromarketing that applies fMRI technology. It established the scientificfoundation, the protocols, and the proprietary techniques that are used toderive highly detailed research data that can be applied to marketingmaterials to help achieve their maximum effectiveness. It is an extremelysignificant step in our advancement, and it will allow us to offer clients awhole new and exclusive dimension of knowledge and insight into what consumersnotice, like and remember best about their products and their messages."
The patent was acquired from its inventors, Dr. Gerald Zaltman and Dr.Stephen Kosslyn, who received U. S. Patent Office approval of theirapplication in 1998. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
Dr. Zaltman is the Joseph C. Wilson Professor of Business AdministrationEmeritus at the Harvard Business School. He served as the Co-Director of TheMind of the Market Laboratory at the Business School, and was also a member ofthe University's Mind, Brain, and Behavior Interfaculty Initiative.
Dr. Kosslyn is the John Lindsley Professor of Psychology and former Chairof the Department of Psychology at Harvard University. He has published over300 scientific papers, and is one of the founding fathers of the field ofcognitive neuroscience.
The technology known as fMRI (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging)employs highly sophisticated equipment that measures changes in blood flow andresultant oxygen content to specific regions of the brain. Test subjects areexposed to various stimuli (images, sounds, or scents, for example), and thefMRI process captures their brain's reaction in terms of blood flow and oxygenlevels providing a powerful index of local brain activity.
NeuroFocus' current testing regimen includes applying high density arraysof EEG (electroencephalographic) sensors, which capture actual brainwaveactivity many as 128 different sectors of the brain at 2,000 times a second.This neurological data is complemented with eye movement tracking technologyand peripheral measures of re-activity. The combination of extremely precisebrainwave activity monitoring, combined with biometric information, provideswhat the company describes as a "deep dive into the consumer's mind."
"The addition of this patent to the growing number of our own patents,with many more in active development, underscores our standing as the world'spreeminent neurological testing company," Dr. Pradeep said. "It also indicatesour mission for the future, which is to provide leading client companies allover the globe with the most scientifically-advanced, proven brain activitymonitoring technologies to help them achieve the most effective, impactfulmarketing materials and other creative content."
About NeuroFocus
NeuroFocus Inc. is the market leader in bringing neuroscience knowledgeand expertise to the world of advertising, marketing, product development andpackaging, and entertainment. The company leverages Doctorate-level academiccredentials in
