Innovative FemTech solutions take center stage at FastTraCS Demo Day
In a vibrant showcase of innovative technology and entrepreneurial spirit, FastTraCS hosted the first-ever FemTech Collaborative Series Demo Day on August 1 at the Loudermilk Center for Excellence in UNC's Kenan stadium.
FastTraCS, the medtech incubator at the NC TraCS Institute, organized the special gathering to highlight the latest innovations in women's health from across the UNC community.
The event featured an array of projects, devices, and female-focused technologies, presented directly by the innovators themselves. It is part of a larger effort to dismantle barriers and enhance the commercialization of FemTech innovations.
"We want to build a sense of community and also raise awareness of all these cool ideas that are percolating in the women's health space across the spectrum, from breastfeeding to sexual health," said FastTraCS director Andrew Kant.
One standout presentation came from nurse Ally Newton and third-year pediatrics resident James Newton, MD, the couple behind Thriving Newborns, a project that is developing better ways to measure breastmilk consumption in babies. "In the hospital, we have babies coming in all the time that are slow growers or "failure to thrive" and the workup for that is to admit them and make sure they are growing adequately when guaranteeing they are getting enough calories," said James. "That can take three to seven days, maybe more, and the babies have to be primarily bottle-fed instead of breastfed during that time."
Ally, who breastfed both their babies and worked in the maternity ward helping new moms breastfeed, said that there is no accurate way to determine whether a breastfeeding baby's nutritional needs are being met. She and her husband are investigating various technologies that can give parents and physicians the answers they need with less disruption to babies and breastfeeding. They brought their eight-month-old baby Leo, who was modeling a swallow sensor, one of the tools they are exploring, and displayed a series of "smart" diapers equipped with sensors that detect hydration levels.
New mothers were the focus of other projects presented at Demo Day. Kimberly Harper, a nurse with expertise in maternal and child health, shared two endeavors focused on supporting women and families during the postpartum period. The 4th Trimester Project provides a hub of information and resources to help women navigate this challenging stage in life. The Building Equitable Linkages with Interprofessional Education Valuing Everyone (BELIEVE) project is developing a curriculum to educate providers in postpartum health and improving outcomes.
"We are using virtual reality headsets to deliver this curriculum," said Harper. "Research has shown that you retain 70% of the education you receive through VR versus 30% of what you learn other ways. So that's a big increase in knowledge that you can gain by using virtual reality."
A very different type of technology came from infectious disease epidemiologist Nora Rosenberg, PhD, and biostatistician Xianming Tan, PhD, who are developing a coital tracker to detect sexual activity and inform HIV prevention efforts. They plan to pilot the wearable device, based on the Garmin fitness tracker, in a group of women in South Africa who are at high risk of HIV. "In the short-term, our main motivation for this work is sexual health and disease prevention," said Tan. "But in the long-term, we may think about using this digital monitor for other purposes like family planning."
Other companies and projects presented at Demo Day included:
- Couplet Care, LLC: Stacie McEntyre, MSW, CEO; Ty Hagler, MBA; Kristin Tully, PhD
- Cervu: Abby Scheer MR; Alan Rosenbaum, MD, MSCR, MSBME, FACOG
- Violet Medical Smartwand: Erin Carey, MD
- Fetal Age Machine Learning Initiative (FAMLI): Jeff Stringer MD, FACOG; Juan Carlos Prieto, PhD; Srihari Chari, MPH; Teeranan (Ben) Pokaprakarn, PhD
- Sarhachat: AI-Powered Decision Aid for Advancing Women's Health Choices: Kandyce Brennan, DNP, CNM
The FemTech Collaborative Series aims to amplify visibility; forge connections among researchers, entrepreneurs, and projects; and bolster the support structure for FemTech innovations.
Through a series of events, organizers at FastTraCS plan to address critical issues such as fundraising strategies, the need for best practices in FemTech development, and the challenges of translating innovative ideas into viable commercial products.
Each event is designed to engage attendees through panel discussions, Q&A sessions, and Demo Days, fostering a culture of innovation and sustainability in women's health.
