Carolina Angel Network
06/11/19
The LifeFlow device developed by UNC-affiliated company 410 Medical allows clinicians to provide faster emergency care to critically ill patients
410 Medical is making better outcomes possible for patients in emergency situations. It received an investment from the Carolina Angel Network and the Triangle Venture Alliance.
People who are affected by sepsis worldwide
Of fluid delivered in less than two minutes with LifeFlow
Invested in 13 startups like 410 Medical by Carolina Angel Network members
As a patient in an emergency situation, the last thing you want to worry about is if doctors, nurses, clinicians and EMTs have the tools available to provide the best possible care. Time is of the essence, especially when it comes to major challenges such as sepsis, trauma and shock.
One UNC-affiliated startup company working to improve patient care and lessen the burden on health care providers is 410 Medical. Through its unique product LifeFlow, the company is working to improve the care of the sickest patients, including those with shock and sepsis, saving lives and significantly reducing hospital expenses. In fact, it’s estimated that sepsis affects more than 30 million people worldwide each year.
“Sepsis costs US hospitals more than $24 billion-dollars annually and is the number one cause of in-hospital death. It is a significant problem both economically and health-wise and every hospital is working toward improving outcomes,” says Kyle Chenet, 410 Medical CEO.
“Sepsis costs US hospitals more than $24 billion-dollars annually and is the number one cause of in-hospital death. It is a significant problem both economically and health-wise and every hospital is working toward improving outcomes,” says Kyle Chenet, 410 Medical CEO. “Early, rapid fluid resuscitation is part of the solution, and LifeFlow offers providers an effective and simple new tool, especially important in shock, when minutes matter.”
Medical emergencies such as sepsis, anaphylaxis, severe dehydration, cardiac arrest, hemorrhage, respiratory failure, drug reactions and many others require rapid fluid delivery in the early stages of treatment. LifeFlow enables clinicians to respond to these critical conditions with an immediate solution for fluid delivery.
“Current methods of delivering fluids quickly are often slow and inefficient. Nurses, doctors and paramedics need a device that they can grab in a chaotic emergency situation, quickly set up and delivery a fluid bolus,” adds Chenet. “We’re hearing great stories from providers about the real impact that LifeFlow is having in patients.”
When Chenet first connected with 410 Medical Chief Medical Officer and co-founder Mark Piehl, he knew there was something special about the company and the LifeFlow product. Piehl, who is a clinical associate professor of pediatrics at the UNC School of Medicine, conceived the idea for LifeFlow while he was a practicing clinician at WakeMed Hospitals, where he served as medical director of WakeMed Children’s Hospital from 2009 to 2015. Chenet was inspired by Piehl’s passion for treating critically ill patients, the unmet needs related to fluid resuscitation and the simplicity of LifeFlow.
“For any new company, the core team and values are really important. At 410, we are incredibly passionate about improving care for critically ill patients, and that passion helps foster the effort, creativity and excellence that we bring to our work each day,” Chenet adds. “We are proud to be a North Carolina story. Mark was born and raised in North Carolina. LifeFlow is manufactured in North Carolina and used in local hospitals including UNC Hospitals, Duke University Hospital and WakeMed, where some of the original work was done and with whom we’ve had an exceptional partnership from the beginning.”
“Having a group like CAN that can serve as a sounding board, help with strategy or operations and can provide connections to others in the network is vital.”
A UNC-Chapel Hill investor program helping boost startups like 410 Medical is the Carolina Angel Network (CAN), which connects accredited investors who are alumni or friends of the University to UNC-affiliated startups. CAN is the only official angel investor network for startups and ventures associated with UNC-Chapel Hill. And since being founded in November 2016 through January 2019, it’s attracted nearly 200 member investors and invested $5.2 million in 13 companies, including 410 Medical.
In addition to support from CAN, 410 Medical received support from Triangle Venture Alliance, a partnership between UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke University and NC State University.
“410 Medical was the first investment that all three groups did together, and it was great to be part of that. The groups did an excellent job of coordinating together and streamlining the diligence process,” says Chenet. “Having a group like CAN that can serve as a sounding board, help with strategy or operations and can provide connections to others in the network is vital.”
Another way in which the company keeps ties with the University is by engaging student interns, who play an important role in its sales operations, helping to coordinate and organize a customer database.
Like many startups, 410 Medical faces the expected challenges of a growing company – from financing to building a great team.
“Successfully and efficiently growing a company is rarely easy. You start with a great team of people who are passionate, creative and work well together, and it’s critical to retain those values and commitment, even as the business needs, processes and structures evolve,” says Chenet.
As the company continues to steadily grow, LifeFlow is being used in more than 30 hospitals across the United States from Miami and Los Angeles to Michigan, Boston and, of course, in North Carolina.
For more information, visit the company website.
Image Credit: 410 Medical
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