Devices & Diagnostics, Health IT, Pharma, Startups

Home healthcare transparency and bone healing tech among angel venture fair offerings

Philadelphia’s annual Angel Venture Fair will include 36 groups of entrepreneurs presenting their products to […]

Philadelphia’s annual Angel Venture Fair will include 36 groups of entrepreneurs presenting their products to angel and venture investors at University of Pennsylvania’s campus today. For those who can’t make it, here is a sample of the healthcare and life sciences companies that will be pitching their solutions from technology to improve how bones heal from fractures to improving transparency for home healthcare for insurers and caregivers.

DermaFlow: The diagnostic company founded by Irene Jaffe believes that changes in peripheral circulation in the capillaries can be an early indicator of acute and chronic medical situations such as multi-organ dysfunction, sepsis, shock, peripheral arterial disease and cardiovascular distress. Its noninvasive diagnostic technology creates an early monitoring system for some of these conditions and uses stand-alone wired, embedded/integrated and wireless monitoring products, and sensors placed on the skin.

Hsiri Therapeutics: The antibiotics company uses technology licensed from the University of Notre Dame to develop antibiotics in areas where bacterial resistance is an issue. Its initial plan is to develop antibiotics to a point where it would be attractive for large and midsized pharmaceutical companies to license its products. Earlier this year it acquired the assets and staff of  PracticaChem. Among the bacterial targets the company is developing antibiotics for are Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Gonococcus and Burkholderia, according to its website. It is also targeting new antifungal compounds against Candida and Aspergillus. Its labs are partly funded by a multiyear grant from the Department of Defense.

LifeAire Systems: The air purification company that developed an air duct system for the niche area of improving air quality for in vitro fertilization labs sees scope for its system in operating rooms, burn units, neonatal intensive care units and other rooms in hospitals across the country where airborne biologicals present a risk. Led by Kathryn Worrilow, LifeAire Systems wants to help solve the $30 billion hospital-acquired infection problem, an issue that impacts hospitals nationwide.

PHmHealth: The three co-founders of the home-health market services group wants to add transparency to home care both for families and for insurers. Using its smartphone system, providers can access patient information and gather data to view visit activity. The company says its system can reduce payers’ risk of improper billing or fraud and help keep families informed about their loved ones’ care. It sees its primary market as payers looking to reduce inaccurate billing. It cites 2012 data from the Office of the Inspector General that says  home healthcare agencies submitted 22 percent of claims in error and tallied up to $432 million in improper Medicare payments.

picWell: The mobile health company’s decision-making app helps seniors pick the best Medicare part D plan. Users take pictures of their current medicine bottles, pick plans from the top two suggestions and click to connect with the desired insurance provider.

Skelegen: The biotechnology company that’s part of University of Pennsylvania’s UpStart incubator program in the Center for Technology Transfer is developing tissue-engineering strategies for bone regeneration. Developed by Dr. Kurt Anderson, a professor with the university’s school of veterinary medicine. The group’s technology involves converting stem cells into osteoblasts–bone-producing cells. Its technology wants to target the 10 percent to 13 percent of bone fractures that have trouble healing and could require surgical intervention.

 

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