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Working with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), MEDTEQ+ has funded six Canadian companies through their Orbit Health program.
MEDTEQ+ a “pan-Canadian consortium for research and innovation in medical technologies” with over 200 participating organizations was launched in January 2013 with support from the Quebec government.
The CSA chose to partner with MEDTEQ+ to distribute $1.8M in funds through their Orbit Health program. The CSA describes the programs goal as supporting “the development of technologies that enhance the self-reliance of healthcare practitioners on Earth and in space.”
The companies selected are from Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Quebec. No funding amount per project was made available.
- Deep Breathe Inc. – Frontier Lung: A real-time, portable, AI-enabled lung ultrasound to diagnose interstitial syndrome.
- Applications MD – EZResus Space: A resuscitation assistant to save lives, from space to remote communities.
- Momentum Health – Momentum Spine: AI-based imaging platform to remotely monitor and diagnose astronauts’ spine health longitudinally.
- NURA Medical: The development of a body mass monitoring and decision-support system to reduce medication errors in remote areas.
- ECOGENE-21: A biocapsule designed for transport and storage of fragile therapeutic and/or biological products.
- Myomar Molecular: The development of a Point of Care for Comprehensive Assessment of Muscle Health and Remote Monitoring.
According to MEDTEQ+, 56 Canadian companies showed interested in the program, 33 projects were selected for review by 407 experts. Each project was then assessed by a committee made up of 49 evaluators.
Annie-Kim Gilbert, PhD, President and CEO of MEDTEQ+ said, “Our team is proud and honoured to accompany these companies, located in the provinces of Quebec, Ontario and Nova Scotia, in their research for funding under the Orbit Health initiative, a major call for projects for the health of Canadians and astronauts. I would also like to express our deep gratitude to the Canadian Space Agency for this collaborative opportunity. Innovation in space medicine is crucial to the realization of exploration missions to the Moon and Mars. What we must also recognize is that these investments will enable cutting-edge technologies to meet real healthcare needs in Quebec and across Canada. Technologies developed for space, but with concrete uses for improving health on Earth.”
Of note, Applications MD’s EZResus Space was the recent winner of the CSA’s Deep Space Healthcare Challenge.
