History and Today
Emfit Ltd was founded in 1990 in Kuopio, Finland. The starting point of our business was the Emfit film invented by company founders. Through extensive product development, Emfit film has become the technological foundation of company. In 1993 company began cooperation with the Finnish State Technical Research Centre (VTT). This mutually benefical partnership generated extensive resources that enhanced core technology research and development.
Our first decade was a very busy one. As Emfit grew our sensor design and manufacturing unit was moved to Vaajakoski in Central Finland, near the town of Jyväskylä in 1998, while both hardware and software development remained in Espoo next to the capital of Helsinki. Our current CEO, Heikki Räisänen, an entrepreneuer and experienced expert in Emfit sensors, has led the company since 1998.
The technical cornerstone for Emfit was the development of our high presure gas diffusion expansion (GDE) technology together with VTT in the late 1990's. Also our last decade developments included reel-to-reel manufacturing technology of large area L-series and ribbon type R-series sensors.
In 2000 we started developing application electronics using digital signal processing, first for elderly people care and soon afterwards also for epileptic seizure alarms and non-body-contact vitals signs monitoring. We have also developed many custom embedded electronics projects for various industrial customers.
In 2002 we signed patents purchase and transfer agreement with VTT, concerning the world-wide IPR of high pressure gas expansion technology. That has endowed Emfit with a competitive and sustainable technological advantage for the long term.
Since 2003 our application development focus have been purely at vital signs and bed monitoring applications such as bed exit and epileptic seizure alarms. In 2004 we first time showed our non-body-contact vital signs monitoring, in finnish innovation centre Heureka. A rest-chair with hidden sensors surprised visitors by calculating sitting person heart rate and respiration and showing them at nearby display. Two years later we released in Medica exhibition the first version of our DVM (discreet vitals monitor).
First epileptic seizure alarms we delivered in 2003. This product soon catched lots of positive feedback from users and has been one of our best selling products. Today we have delivered close to 2000 pcs of epileptic seizure alarms.
In 2006 our R&D moved partly to Frankfurt, Germany. This has helped us to assist and take part at various R&D projects using our sensor technology in central europe. We also founded subsidiary in N.Hollywood, CA, USA in 2006 for sales and logistics.
