In many medical emergencies, the symptoms are not always clear. Does the patient have a circulatory problem or is it perhaps asthma? "The recognisable symptoms often do not allow a clear statement to be made, and the medical staff at the scene have to rely solely on their experience," said Böhme. The trip to the hospital is time-consuming, and even more time is wasted, if it turns out after admission that the patient would be better off in another hospital.
The Lübeck-based Lumeox start-up has come up with Mobox, a compact and lightweight mobile blood analyser for paramedics. The device enables the rapid and reliable determination of key blood parameters at the scene of an emergency. Hopes are now high that it can be used to provide treatment as quickly as the situation requires. "On average, it takes 38 minutes from the time the ambulance arrives at the scene until the patient arrives at the hospital," said Till Böhme, CEO of Lumeox. "This time is often wasted because there is simply no way of getting detailed information about the problem at hand on site."
Safer initial treatment
Mobile technology for reliable measurements
Mobox is designed especially for mobile use and provides reliable measurements under certain environmental conditions (temperature and humidity). Emergency doctors at the scene can make an informed decision before travelling to the hospital where the devices are partly mobile and provide clear results only in a limited operating temperature range. Lumeox is a spin-off from the Technical University of Lübeck where the five founders came together with combined expertise in chemistry, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, software and sensor development and business management.
Mobox - robust, reliable and AI-based
Mobox is a novel, optical and AI-based sensor for unmatched robustness and reliability. The platform measures blood gas and oxygen saturation. Unlike stationary blood analysers, Mobox requires a blood sample of less than 20 microlitres and delivers reliable results within 30 seconds and even at minus 20 degrees Celsius.
From start-up to serial production
In April 2021, Lumeox came first in Lübeck’s Gateway49 accelerator and won the Sparkasse zu Lübeck's start-up award seven months later. In May 2022, Lumeox secured EXIST funding from the German Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection. The start-up unveiled a first prototype of Mobox in early 2024 and plans to start serial production in mid-2025, if funding proves successful. The approval of a patent is pending.
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