NIA Small Business Showcase: Microsensor Labs

Health care-associated infections (HAIs) are the most frequent adverse event for patients around the world. Recent research has shown that every year approximately 721,800 HAIs occur in U.S. acute care hospitals and around 1.6 to 3.8 million HAIs occur in long-term care facilities, leading to more than 400,000 deaths and $20 billion in annual health care costs.

Leading organizations, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), The Joint Commission (JCAHO), and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, have well-documented research highlighting hand hygiene as one of the most effective measures to reduce the number of HAIs. However, recent data shows that, on average, U.S. health care workers clean their hands only 25% of the times that they should.

Sanibit™ is a patented solution to automate hand hygiene compliance monitoring, focusing on the reduction of HAIs. Sanibit requires that every patient room be fitted with multiple wall sensors. Each health care worker wears a wristband built with Sanibit’s advanced sensing technology, which delivers real-time reminders to the staff on hand hygiene practices in their existing workflows. Personalized web and mobile dashboards support game-based peer motivation for staff and deliver intelligence and insights 24/7 at the desired level of detail (e.g., staff, room, role, group. Sanibit is flexible with various health care settings, is compatible with all major brands of soap/alcohol dispensers, and has minimal impact on facilities and information technology.

In 2014, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) began the Hospital-Acquired Conditions (HAC) Reduction Program, along with a transition from volume-based care to value-based care. Under the new program, hospitals lose 1% of their CMS revenue if their HAC score (mainly based on HAIs) falls into the bottom 25%. The “pay for performance” system provides strong financial incentives to hospitals to reduce infection and readmission rates. Accreditation agencies such as JCAHO are manually examining the hand hygiene compliance of health care systems before approving accreditation, and many health systems are cited for improvement.

The main market for the system is infection control in health care facilities, including acute care hospitals, long-term acute care hospitals, and long-term care facilities. In the United States, HAIs are responsible for approximately $45 billion in costs each year. The recent emergence and global spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) also generated new market opportunities for Sanibit in many other business sectors.

Almost every acute care hospital in the United States still relies on direct observation to audit and monitor hand hygiene compliance. This is costly, labor-intensive, time-consuming, and subject to observer bias, and it only captures a small sample size. Sanibit captures hand hygiene opportunities and monitors compliance 24/7 with high accuracy. Its real-time reminders and personalized app motivate intensive care unit (ICU) staff to improve hand hygiene compliance by 80%, all without interrupting their workflows. Currently Sanibit is the only clinically proven product that tracks complete hand hygiene compliance (both moments and quality) based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/WHO guidelines.

Company Milestones

Scientific

2018: Developed a first-generation Sanibit prototype
2019: Conducted pilot studies to validate Sanibit sensing technology
2020: Started pilot trials in ICU settings
2021: First paper from the pilot trial published in the American Journal of Infection Control

Business

2018: Awarded a Fast-Track SBIR grant from NIH
2019: Released a beta-version Sanibit system
2020: Started pilot trial in ICU settings
2021: Product launch and manufacturing

Financial Overview

To date, Microsensor Labs has raised $3 million in funds. The company is currently fundraising for $0.5 million in 2021 to support manufacturing and plans to raise an additional $2 million in two years to support marketing, sales, and product development.

Intellectual Property

Microsensor Labs has four issued U.S. patents and multiple pending U.S./European Union patents. Microsensor Labs’ IP portfolio was solely developed and owned by the company.

Product Development and Regulatory Strategy

Microsensor Labs has successfully tested the beta version of the Sanibit system in pilot trials in ICU settings and plans for product launch in 2021. No FDA regulation is required.

Commercialization Strategy

Hand hygiene is critical for infection prevention. Microsensor Labs will initially focus on acute care hospitals and long-term care facilities through direct sales and distributors. The company also expects revenue through technology licensing in other business sectors, such as the hospitality industry, and strategic partnerships with sanitizer manufacturers and wearable technology companies.

Company Details

Microsensor Labs website

Chicago, IL

Industry: Digital Health and Sensing Technologies

Management Team:

President: Paul Liu, Ph.D.

Point of Contact:

Paul Liu, Ph.D.
Email Paul Liu
(312) 358-6217