The company was one of two Northern Ontario organizations selected to receive financial support aimed at propelling innovative COVID-19 solutions into the marketplace

Flosonics Medical was one of two Northern Ontario organizations selected as a winner of Vale’s 2020 COVID-19 Challenge.

The challenge, which was launched in Canada on April 3, 2020, aimed to propel innovative COVID-19 solutions developed by companies, startups, institutions, universities or professionals into the marketplace by offering up to $1 million USD in financial support.

Founded in 2015, Flosonics Medical is a Sudbury-based company that develops and commercializes wearable sensors to improve the clinical management of critically ill patients.

To help during the pandemic, the venture-backed startup developed a wearable Doppler ultrasound device capable of providing vital information about a COVID-19 patient’s cardiovascular system remotely via Bluetooth.

The wireless functionality of FloPatch enables rapid deployment in most health care settings and is especially well-suited for resource-limited environments like COVID-19 overflow centres.

The funds received from Vale as part of the COVID-19 Challenge will help Flosonics Medical increase capacity to manufacture and distribute the FloPatch, which has already been cleared for use in the United States by the FDA.

“We are pleased to partner with Vale on this important initiative. Our aim with this solution is to facilitate monitoring where resources are limited, and to help support clinical decisions to improve patient outcomes,” said Joe Eibl, co-founder and CEO of Flosonics Medical. 

Flosonics Medical’s innovative technology was chosen out of nearly 1,800 solutions submitted globally to Vale’s COVID-19 Challenge, over 300 of which came from within Canada.

All of the solutions were carefully reviewed by a select group of employees as well as external partners and supporters, including Mater Dei Hospital in Brazil, Dr. Greg Ross from Health Sciences North, Don Duval from NORCAT, and Sheryl Thingvold from the MaRS Discovery District.

The panel of reviewers chose 11 solutions to receive financial support, including two developed by Canadian companies based in Northern Ontario.

“We had such a strong and positive response to Vale’s COVID-19 Challenge,” said Dino Otranto, Chief Operating Officer of Vale’s North Atlantic Operations and Asian Refineries.

“Organizations across the country have demonstrated extraordinary ingenuity and resilience to come together during these challenging times. We are pleased to fuel some ideas that were brought forward to help extend their reach and their impact in communities across Canada.”

To view and get to know the solutions being supported through this challenge, please visit
www.vale.com/canadacovid19challenge.