Hawaii Patent of the Month – April 2023

Trauma is a leading cause of mortality globally, with hemorrhage being a significant contributor to preventable deaths. Coagulopathy is a bleeding disorder wherein the blood’s ability to coagulate, or form clots, is impaired. This can lead to excessive bleeding and hemorrhaging, either spontaneously or following trauma.

Early detection of coagulopathies is critical to determine appropriate interventions for these injuries. Unfortunately, current diagnostic tools such as thrombelastography and rotational thromboelastometry are bulky and require trained personnel, making it difficult to use them at the point of injury.

iFirst Medical Technologies is focused on bringing point of care technologies to everyone, everywhere by integrating with the Apple iOS. In line with this mission, the company has recently patented a design for a portable coagulation profiling device that enables rapid diagnosis of coagulation disorders. The device is designed for use by paramedics and emergency medical technicians at the point of injury, allowing for timely interventions that can save lives.

iFirst’s device uses a biological microelectromechanical system (BioMEMS) cartridge that rotates in a circular motion in direct contact with a blood sample while the blood coagulates. A video camera, such as an iPhone camera, captures the rotation changes over time, which are indicative of specific coagulation disorders. The rotational motion is induced externally using a magnetic field.

The device’s handheld medical analyzer platform is compatible with different disposable application cartridges that perform a range of interrogations on specimen samples. The BioMEMS cartridge is one such application that generates coagulation profiles.

The use of cartridges simplifies the testing process compared to traditional techniques, making coagulopathy testing simpler for small hospitals, clinics, ambulances, remote locations, and individuals. The device’s portability permits a larger number of parallel or serial devices to operate simultaneously.

iFirst envisions the growth of products using a mobile health diagnostic platform and continues to pursue its application for other critical situations; where ease of use, cost, and mobility can help save lives of patients and provide care-providers increase profits.

Are you developing new technology for an existing application? Did you know your development work could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? Even if your development isn’t successful your work may still qualify for R&D credits (i.e. you don’t need to have a patent to qualify). To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

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