Founded by ICU physician Dr. Barry Dixon, Cyban is changing how head trauma is treated in the ICU, with its non-invasive device designed to detect and monitor brain hypoxia in patients who have experienced acute brain injury.
“Traumatic brain injury is the second highest economic costs of any health condition,” explains Cyban CEO, Brendan Fafiani.
“It has a 50% mortality rate and, of those who survive, two thirds have long term disabilities. One reason for that is because there is no reliable way to accurately measure and monitor brain oxygen levels continuously.”
Dr Dixon, who continues to lead Cyban’s research as Chief Scientific Officer, explains that healthcare practitioners working in the ICU, emergency department or operating theatre are constantly monitoring brain injury patients for deterioration of brain health.
“Systems used today to monitor for deterioration of brain oxygen levels are either invasive, requiring a surgical procedure to place a catheter into the scull, or lack the accuracy needed to detect cerebral hypoxia reliably. As a result, treatment of brain hypoxia may be delayed, which can result in permanent disability or death.”
Through the use of sensors placed on the patient’s head to read brain oxygen levels, Cyban’s device offers a non-invasive, continuous approach to monitoring and detecting brain hypoxia, allowing for earlier intervention, lower economic impacts and most importantly, better outcomes for patients.
Empowered by Entrepreneurs’ Programme Accelerating Commercialisation funding and facilitator expertise
With the strong belief his device could make life-changing differences, Dr Dixon turned to the Entrepreneurs’ Programme Accelerating Commercialisation service for support.
Expert guidance and mentorship from i4 Connect Facilitator, Dr Robert Crombie, led to Cyban securing a $350,000 Entrepreneurs’ Programme Accelerating Commercialisation grant; in turn enabling an expansion of the team and sparking relationships with key opinion leaders in the US – a market Cyban will be focused on come launch-time.
The company has also been empowered to assemble an advisory board, which has led to the opportunity to conduct clinical trials in the United States this year.
“For me, what stands out most about Cyban is its strong value proposition. Its technology has the potential to radically change ICU head trauma treatment; something that’s come through from surgeons and anaesthesiologists I’ve spoken to,” Dr Crombie said.
“Additionally, Cyban has a quality team that understands how to navigate technology development and the regulatory and reimbursement hurdles up ahead.”
Advice For Grant-Seeking Entrepreneurs
“The preparation involved in submitting a competitive application for the Entrepreneurs’ Programme Accelerating Commercialisation grant took a long time, but was very beneficial,” says Brendan.
“We worked closely with Dr Crombie who made it clear what was expected of us to be successful and encouraged us to think more deeply about our commercialisation strategy.
“Another benefit of receiving the funding is the credibility that is gained with various stakeholders and potential investors. We’ve discovered that being awarded an Entrepreneurs’ Programme Accelerating Commercialisation grant and being part of the program is a valuable asset in itself.”
