SanDisk waterproof USB Flash Drive introduction : SanDisk Corporation introduced the SanDisk waterproof USB Flash Drive, a new line of rugged flash drives aimed at original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) targeting the health care market. Small enough to be worn all day as a necklace or kept on a key chain, the SanDisk USB Flash Drive will be available to OEM customers in capacities of 64, 128, 256 and 512 megabytes (MB) and 1 gigabyte (GB). The announcement was made at the annual Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) conference.

The SanDisk waterproof USB Flash Drive lets consumers and patients carry their medical records (including both text-based and visual information like MRIs and photographs) with them in a rugged yet wearable USB device that can be used with any computer equipped with a USB port. At 55.7 x 19.0 x 7.9 mm and just 11.5 grams, the Waterproof USB drive is small enough to wear comfortably all day on a neck strap or a key chain. The SanDisk USB drive has a specially designed cap with a latching mechanism that helps prevent the USB drive from accidentally falling off or becoming lost. This easy-release mechanism allows emergency response personnel to quickly remove the USB drive so that they can plug it into a computer and read the emergency medical file.

The SanDisk waterproof USB Flash Drive is targeted at the fast-growing market for portable patient records, due in part to the national initiatives underway in Healthcare IT. The Waterproof USB Drive will enable patients that use personal health records (PHR) to easily carry their emergency medical information with them at all times. Depending on the PHR being used, the emergency medical file can be securely accessed by authorized emergency room personnel if the person is unconscious. A password provided by the patient to authorized medical personnel can unlock the patient's full medical record. A survey conducted in 2004 by Bearing Point found that over 50 percent of respondents would be interested in carrying their medical records on a portable device that could be readily accessed by any computer during an emergency.

"Wearing or carrying the Waterproof USB Drive will give consumers the comfort of having their health records with them at all times, whether they're at home, work, travelling or simply working out," said Ed Cuellar, director of marketing in SanDisk's Emerging Markets Business Unit. "Providing quick access to emergency medical information will lead to enhanced quality of care, which is the key reason the Waterproof USB Drive was developed." The SanDisk waterproof USB Flash Drive is available to OEM manufacturers now in sample quantities, with full production scheduled for May 2005. Volume pricing to OEM customers is expected to range from $15.55 for a 64MB drive to $95.20 for a 1GB drive.