By Adam Ruechel
For WisBusiness.com
In the back of an ambulance, the time it takes to diagnose a patient can be a matter of life or death. When he saw a patient die after an inability to properly diagnose a cardiac problem, Tom Evans knew he had to do something.
His solution? EasyG, a dual-sensor wireless electrocardiogram (ECG) device.
A graduate of Marquette University, Evans felt compelled to put his biomedical engineering degree and four years of experience in emergency medical services to good use.
“After witnessing my first cardiac patient die due to the time it took to diagnose what her problems were, I knew from that point forward that there had to be an easier way of diagnosing cardiac issues in the field,” Evans said.
Traditional ECGs rely on establishing a wired connection to multiple adhesive pads on a patient’s body. These electrodes measure the electrical signals from a patient’s heart. By evaluating these cardiac signals, EMS workers can diagnose the patient, and determine a course of treatment.
A timely process, the readings from such a device depend on solid connections and are subject to a variety of factors that can influence the accuracy of the readings from the patient’s heart. Allergies to adhesives, burns to the skin, or excessive body hair or sweat typically complicate the use of contact electrodes.
Aiming to save time, and consequentially save lives, the EasyG ECG works by wirelessly measuring and recording the electrical field put out by a patient’s heart. But instead of requiring multiple wires or adhesives, the EasyG device can simply be clipped to a patient’s clothing, while still accurately measuring the heart’s electrical patterns. Not only does this save precious time, it also can afford the patient some modesty as the device works regardless of patient clothing.
Emergency workers can then read the measurements directly off of the EasyG device, or transmit the data wirelessly to a remote location for assessment. And if the standard sticky electrodes are already in place on the patient, EasyG can also be directly connected to the adhesive pads without further adjustment.
The next step for EasyG is to bring their new device to emergency medical personnel across the country. Evans intends to market the portable ECG device directly to ambulances, fire departments, hospitals, the military and home health care services. By selling the EasyG directly to those using the product, Evans hopes to be able to get valuable feedback from those who will be using the device the most.
“We want to go direct to end-users to begin with to get market feedback. We will then use manufacturers’ reps and distributors to expand our reach,” Evans explained.
Before they can get there, however, lies the biggest hurdle for EasyG, a hurdle familiar to many startups: lack of capital. As Evans noted: “Generating the necessary capital to facilitate all of the planned innovations, while running and investing in the current business, is currently one of our biggest obstacles.”
While it may be the largest obstacle on the road to success for EasyG, Evans makes note that it is the innovation of the wireless device that will set the company apart from others in the field: “Our technology’s impact in the market and our first-hand understanding of the market place, will set us apart from another medical device company,” he said.
He added that EasyG “will have the fastest ECG device for EMS in the world, which will grant investors the satisfaction of helping to diagnose and potentially save patients suffering from cardiac complications.”
According to Evans, the initial feedback they have received has been incredibly positive.
“We have obtained letters of intent signed by customers to purchase hundreds of EasyG units,” said Evans. Such a demand for the product before widespread production could be the spark necessary for EasyG to obtain the necessary investment capital to take their operation to the next level.
“(EasyG) aims to be operating globally, innovating and inventing new medical technology to help treat patients more efficiently and effectively.”
Evans will get a chance to present the opportunity to investors next month at the Wisconsin Technology Council’s annual Early Stage Symposium Nov. 5-6 at Madison’s Monona Terrace.
— Ruechel is a student in the UW-Madison Department of Life Sciences Communication.
