Active Life Technologies
Magnetic MicroTag
MedALive
NanoFresh
Power of Minus Nine
Active Life Technologies
Musculoskeletal conditions are the number one reason people visit their physicians and affect one in three Americans. The problem has been identified and recognized worldwide as 2002-2011 has been proclaimed the National Bone and Joint Decade. A primary goal of this declaration focuses on "continually seeking and promoting cost-effective prevention and treatment of musculoskeletal injuries and disorders... committed to making an impact on the estimated $254 billion annual costs of musculoskeletal conditions in the United States." In response to this direct need, Active Life Technologies offers the Osteoprobe as the first technology that will allow orthopedic surgeons, endocrinologists, and other allied health professionals to assess the mechanical and material properties of bone in vivo (in a living patient). The Osteoprobe is a cost-effective tool aiding in the prevention and treatment of weak and damaged bones.
Magnetic MicroTag
Magnetic MicroTag has designed new, biocompatible, magnetic microbeads with at least 3 potential applications: cell separation, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and targeted drug delivery. Each of these separate markets will be addressed chronologically, as the efficacy of in vivo function is assessed.
Early marketing will focus on cell separation and other bioseparation processes, which comprise a large market for analyses performed in academic and clinical research. In cell separation, specifically targeted cells (in vitro) are anchored to the microbeads, which then magnetically direct the cells for isolation. This could find use in the form of kits for analyzing components of the blood, as for identifying stages of cancer. The development of highly efficient separation processes could also lead to a new age of therapeutics, such as total blood transfusion.
Using the same devices in the body is expected to lead to improved diagnostics for common hospital procedures such as MRI. Using a targeted approach enables visualization of regions of the body that currently cannot provide appropriate contrast. Finally, our devices have future prospects for targeted drug delivery. Because they are porous, they can be loaded with drugs and designed to then release them once they have fastened to a specified site.
MedALive
MedALive is a provider of clinical software used to simplify hospital inpatient monitoring for physicians and nurses who are constantly working under time pressure. Our software, MedAChart, uses a proprietary algorithm developed with years of clinical data, to aggregate a patient’s vital signs, test results, and nursing assessments into a single score - a measure of a patient’s vitality. MedAChart uses our composite vitality index and graphically displays trends in a patient’s health status to objectively support clinical assessment. This immediately visible information allows for proactive care to avoid crises, saving pain, lives, and healthcare dollars. MedAChart is a useful adjunct to clinical judgment for decisions about prioritizing care at shift transitions, determining nurse staffing ratios, and patient discharge. The software can be easily integrated into all existing Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems and will be undergoing evaluation at a major hospital within three weeks.
NanoFresh
Water is by far the most common substance on earth, yet it is in exceedingly short supply. While abusively under-valued, water has no substitute regardless of price. This most fundamental of facts creates the inexorable and intractable demand for water purification that will not abate with time. Abuse of water reservoirs with the increasing demand has resulted into increased bacterial contamination. Disinfection with halogen (chlorine and iodine) results in new carcinogenic halocarbons; another problem which has become common now. NanoFresh is licensing two nano particle based technologies to address these problems. Filters developed by NanoFresh will be portable, cheap, ultra light, and highly effective in comparison to existing solutions.
Power of Minus Nine
Power of Minus Nine develops clean energy solutions enabled by nanotechnology. Public awareness of global warming is putting pressure on industry to produce such solutions, for government to provide incentives, and for consumers to use them. The total market for electricity generation is $1.2T worldwide ($365B for the US alone) and the global battery market is $30B annually. To address these markets, Power of Minus Nine is developing efficient, flexible solar cells for home and commercial electrical generation, as well as compact, powerful batteries for electric vehicles, mobile electronics, and other applications. The company develops the technology from university research into commercially viable prototypes, and then licenses it to partners for manufacture and distribution.