Jul 9 2010
Ironbridge innovator Steve Rawlings develops BO-eliminating iron-on patches; son Tom ditches big City job to help launch Dad’s invention
A new underarm clothing tag which uses nano technology to harness and store the molecules responsible for body odour (BO) is to be launched as an alternative to deodorants by Shropshire-based Steve and Tom Rawlings. The father and son team has launched Odegon Tags to banish the antisocial odour resulting from stale human sweat with revolutionary teabag-sized fabric patches housing an activated nano-porous material.
Steve (60) revived an innovation stemming from his 35-year career developing life saving filters and technical fabrics for the defence, North Sea diving, aerospace and automotive industries. “Odegon Tags were discovered whilst formulating new materials for special filters to protect military personnel from lethal nerve gases and agents. We were right to assume that if the material met chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) suit requirements, it would easily tackle BO,” he says. “Ready for action as soon as they are ironed on or sewn in, and lasting as long as the life of the garment, the patches are soft, chemical-free, odourless, inert, non-allergenic and environmentally-friendly.”
Leap of faith for bright spark Tom Tom Rawlings (29) was so impressed with this new invention that he gave up a promising career as a corporate banker in the City of London. “Starting a new business around Odegon Tags was an easy choice when I realised their potential for the service industry and the millions worldwide who wish to put an end to body odour,” he says. “One of my tasks in banking was looking at new business projects and revenue streams for clients. Odegon Tags is for me one of those inventions that you see once in a lifetime” he says. “We are just starting to realise the potential of Odegon Tags and its applications, and have received significant interest from corporate and retail clothing companies, particularly in Asian and European markets.”
Odegon Technologies’ odour absorbing tags are made from a nano-porous material which captures and permanently traps the polarised molecules from body odour until the garment is cleaned, either by hand or machine washing or by dry cleaning, and the molecules are flushed out. The controlled material was invented in 1942 by the Ministry of Defence for use in gas masks to absorb harmful chemical agents and has been used in the production of CBRN suits and gas masks ever since.
Source: http://www.odegon.com/