Devices & Diagnostics, Startups

3 medical device companies collaborating with Philadelphia Pediatric Medical Device Consortium

The Philadelphia Pediatric Medical Device Consortium has been looking for a few good companies to […]

The Philadelphia Pediatric Medical Device Consortium has been looking for a few good companies to help address unmet or inadequately met needs in pediatric medicine. It looks like it’s found them. The companies were chosen as part of an RFP from the consortium. Here’s a look at the three companies with which it is collaborating.

Little Sparrows founder and CEO, Dr. Donna Brezinski, was inspired by a covered wagon to develop a lightweight, low-cost, phototherapy device to treat neonatal jaundice called Bili-Hut (above).  About 50 percent of infants are born with some form of jaundice and only a small portion require treatment for it. But without treatment, infants with severe jaundice are prone to brain damage. Little Sparrows’ approach is intended as a practical way to offer phototherapy in developing countries. It’s designed to be lightweight, collapsible and easy to ship. The company is beginning to do pilot studies of the device in India, according to its website.

Middle ear infections are the most common reason for prescribing antibiotics for children and yet the condition is frequently misdiagnosed. OtoNexus developed an ultrasound device to rapidly and accurately diagnose middle ear infections, called Otitis Media.  The medical device is designed to detect the presence and the type of fluid behind the eardrum, according to its website. It’s a device with the potential to lower healthcare costs and reduce antibiotic prescriptions.

RasLabs is developing a pediatric, adjustable biomimetic socket liner for prosthetic limbs. Its Synthetic Muscle is designed to make prosthetic devices more flexible to improve mobility through a polymer-based material that has the ability to expand and contract with electric impulse, according to its website. These products are designed to contract and expand at low voltages.

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