Think of it as a “six degrees of separation story” that in the long run probably will save the life of many children who have diabetes...
Think of it as a “six degrees of separation story” that in the long run probably will save the life of many children who have diabetes. Short term, North Carolina State University graduate Brian Boothe and his business partner Kim Bertron have an additional $10,000 to further develop a prototype.
Boothe and Bertron developed SimpleShot, a single syringe that stores powder in one chamber and a diluting solution in the other, allowing easy, instant mixing when the seal between the two chambers is broken. In an emergency, SimpleShot provides faster, easier administration of reconstituted drugs.
SimpleShot was chosen runner-up for “Modern Marvel of the Year” among 2,500 inventions in the Invent Now Challenge sponsored by The History Channel, netting the inventors $10,000 in prize money. (SimpleShot will be featured in a Modern Marvels episode on The History Channel Wednesday, May 16, at 10 p.m.)
The idea began after Bertron’s 10-year-old daughter, who has Type 1 diabetes, had a severe hypoglycemic episode. Hypoglycemia occurs when the blood glucose level drops so low that a violent seizure can result. An injection of glucagon had to be administered immediately but Bertron was shaking so badly she broke the needle before she could assemble the syringe and give the shot. She used a back-up kit to complete the multiple steps and administer the life-saving drug correctly.
She later learned that her initial failure was quite common among parents of children with diabetes and she pledged to find a simpler, quicker solution. With the help of engineers Boothe and John Wiley Horton, the SimpleShot was born.
It took a string of coincidences and some help from the Technology Incubator on Centennial Campus to make the device a reality.
Boothe graduated in December 2001, received a scholarship and went on to earn his masters a year later, both from NC State. Boothe and Horton teamed up to create Corsair, EDA, Inc., which helps clients with product design and launch.
When Larry Dickinson of 3F, LLC, which is located at the Technology Incubator, needed a design consultant, he contracted with Boothe. That’s where Boothe found out about the incubator concept. Eventually, Corsair moved to Centennial Campus.
“In knowing that we (Horton and Boothe) wanted to make this an established business, the Technology Incubator just made sense,” said Boothe. The NC State Technology Incubator is an economic development tool designed to accelerate the growth and success of start-up companies. Entrepreneurs can take advantage of office space, access to conference rooms and Internet as well as university resources like business planning and financial advice while getting their business off the ground.
The Technology Incubator is managed by the Industrial Extension Service. IES helps North Carolina businesses stay abreast of the latest technologies and best practices in both engineering and business management. The ultimate goal is to help increase productivity, efficiency, quality and profitability.
“Being in the environment of the incubator alone is very attractive,” Boothe said. “Everyone here is motivated to succeed and being a part of the university brings a lot to the table for a small start-up company.”
When Bertron found Corsair, Boothe and Horton were ready to help their newest client. From a “back of a napkin” sketch to being chosen as one of the nation’s best new inventions, SimpleShot has the capability to reduce errors in dosage, save time, eliminate potential contamination and reduce the risk of needle stick exposure for the delivery of reconstituted medication to patients in life-threatening situations.