Germaphobes rejoice! Toronto-based Limestone Labs, developer of the CleanSlate UV System for improved infection control, won half a million dollars at the 43North Competition on Oct. 29. In spite of not winning the grand prize, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Taylor Mann says that his company was still presented a good opportunity.
Just what exactly is CleanSlate and how does it work? Well, we all know that sanitation is incredibly important especially in places where people have weak immune systems, such as the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in hospitals and senior homes, and Mann and his team believe that too. That's why Limestone Labs partnered with leading North American healthcare facilities to develop their flagship product which aims to completely sanitize thermometers, glucometers and portable gadgets such as smartphones and tablets using Ultra Violet (UV) light in only 30 seconds. Of course, you will have to use those 30 seconds to sanitize your own hands so as to avoid re-infecting the device.
The CleanSlate UV System's main targets are the superbugs Clostridium difficile, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). Mann's main inspiration for developing the product came from a nurse friend who expressed concern over how parents of babies in the Neo-Natal ICU would often violate the rule against bringing their electronic devices inside.
Watch the clinical demo video of CleanSlate below.
As part of winning in 43North, Mann and his team are required to be housed in Buffalo, New York for at least a year where, he says, they will work to quickly market CleanSlate to avoid the risk of losing to possible competitors. "We need to make sure that we grow really fast ... and that we're able to make it make more sense for [competitors] to buy us than to outbuild us," Mann said.
43North is part of Governor Andrew Cuomo's Buffalo Billion Initiative. Winners of the competition must agree to stay for at least 12 months in Buffalo and give five percent equity stake to 43North but they are given access to START-UP NY, which qualifies them for exemption from state taxes for up to 10 years.
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