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SFU Grad Develops Wearable Harm Reduction Device for Opioid Crisis and His Startup Company Gets Acquired by BC-based LifeGuard Digital Health
Friday, June 2, 2023Company Profile | Follow Company
Alex McGovern (SFU BASc '20) Photo credit: Simon Fraser University
Burnaby, BC, June 2, 2023--(T-Net)--A medical device developed by a Simon Fraser University alumnus to provide real-time overdose monitoring and detection is now one step closer to providing harm reduction solutions—for impacted individuals and service providers addressing the issue—after acquisition by a digital health company.
ODEN Health Solutions, founded in 2020 by CEO Alex McGovern (SFU BASc '20), was acquired by fellow BC company LifeGuard Digital Health to bring new innovative solutions to help people in crisis.
The opioid crisis continues to devastate families and communities across Canada; more than 30,000 people have died from related overdoses since 2016, and 2,272 lives have been lost in BC over 2022.
ODEN's self-contained wearable device can be worn on a person's arm for immediate feedback signs of an overdose. The device then notifies emergency services to be sent to the person's location. McGovern's goal is to see the device, now in its final phase of testing with the help of LifeGuard, available by early 2025.
LifeGuard's primary products include overdose prevention apps within cell phones.
With the acquisition of ODEN product and talent - McGovern is now LifeGuard's Director of Technology Development - the company aims to also remove the barrier to accessing overdose prevention for people without cell phones.
Once ODEN's wearable technology product is ready, LifeGuard plans to include this device within an expanded partnership with the B.C. Provincial Health Services Authority. In the meantime, the company is also connecting with social housing and SRO management while developing hardware timing devices that could go into occupants' rooms, including a timer that can be set before using substances.
"We're really excited that it's entering beta trials right now," says McGovern. "We've done our first installations and are waiting to get feedback on it now."
McGovern drew inspiration and motivation for ODEN from his SFU studies. The idea for his product initially started as practice for practically applying the techniques and software he was learning about in his biomedical engineering undergraduate program.
"We apply those techniques everywhere in the wearable device and all the vital signs we monitor," says McGovern. "Having that background was very important because it let me know what could actually be done or what was years and years away." He cites SFU engineering science professor Bonnie Gray as a major supporter of the research and development of wearable health monitoring devices.
Jeff Hardy, Founder and CEO, Lifeguard Digital Health
"ODEN's expertise in the wearable technology space aligns with our long-term vision, opening up the opportunity to make our products accessible to more people in need of assistance. The acquisition has been a beneficial addition to our development team as we create new solutions that not only help people suffering from substance use disorder but expand to help the aging population as well. We are making healthcare more accessible and in doing so, saving the lives of so many people in crisis, no matter the economic, social, or geographical barriers, and giving them the freedom to live their lives independently. Our flagship product, LifeguardConnect has already saved 65 lives and I can't wait to see this number rise as we make our products accessible to more and more people," said Jeff Hardy, Founder and CEO at Lifeguard Digital Health.
To move his idea beyond the classroom, in 2019 McGovern accessed key programs within SFU's Charles Chang Institute for Entrepreneurship, including Mentor Meet, SPARK, the Coast Capital Venture Connection incubator and eCoop, which enabled him to work on ODEN for a semester within the incubator, with a full-time salary.
In 2022, the biomedical device company won Top Venture at SFU's annual Coast Capital Venture Prize.
This acquisition enabled Lifeguard Digital Health to bring new expertise in-house, equipping the team with extensive experience in medical device design and knowledge related to the severity and needs of individuals struggling with substance use disorder.
In partnership, they have since developed Intelicare, a platform for senior living residences, and LifeguardLite™, a drug overdose prevention device designed in collaboration with local Single Room Accommodation (SRA) and social housing residents. The team is currently working on the development of wearable technology that will help the company make even greater impacts in harm reduction and senior care.
About Lifeguard Digital Health
Lifeguard Digital Health creates digital health solutions that reduce harm, prevent involuntary deaths, and improve quality of life. The company integrates digital health technology innovations on its 'evan' platform, including artificial intelligence (AI), internet of things (IoT), blockchain, and informatics. Complying with the highest/current levels of security and privacy regulations, it works closely with health authorities and emergency health services.
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