In the intensive care unit, operating or emergency room, time is essential and rapid blood analysis is extremely beneficial. Cleveland-based Apollo Medical Devices has developed technology that provides analysis with just a single drop of blood and point-of-care results, much like a diabetic glucose reading. This would eliminate the need to go into the vein for an entire vial and the necessity for a central lab to process the blood. Apollo has been granted an exclusive option license from Case Western Reserve University to further develop the technology.
Punkaj Ahuja and Patrick Leimkuehler have gathered $150,000 in grants thus far to support continued development of the product and maintaining a focused approach to make this technology available for use.
“One of our major advantages is that we could use this in the developing world, in disaster relief and the military potentially,” Ahuja said in an interview. “With our technology you would throw it away after use – basically a central laboratory wouldn’t exist. I really see this being used in places like primary care facilities, pre-ambulance, pre-hospital facilities like in nursing homes and eventually for an at-home market.”
