Ekips Technologies: A Breath
of Fresh Air
While attending graduate school at MIT,
Dr. Patrick McCann had a dream of one day creating a technology with means to
identify levels of various compounds in breath gases, which indicate certain
diseases in their earliest stage.
His dream is known today as the
Breathmeterä; a laser-based breath analysis instrument that can aid in
the diagnosis of asthma and subsequent treatment monitoring. It was this vision
that inspired Dr. McCann to establish Ekips Technologies in 1997 to build, test
and market the machines he had developed over the past two decades.
In March 2002, Ekips moved its offices to
the eTec building and have been working to expand and develop the Breathmeter.
Ongoing research has helped Ekips to collect and present data to the FDA for
approval. Dr. McCann acknowledges it is
a slow process; however, instruments with technology similar to the Breathmeter
have recently been approved. As long as the research can show data comparable to
other FDA approved instruments, Dr. McCann is confident his technology will
soon receive approval as well.
On October 5, 2004, Ekips announced the company had received a $750,000 Phase II National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) to support clinical studies for obtaining FDA approval and to support human testing and additional instrument development.
The American Lung Association of Oklahoma (ALA) has joined Ekips in hopes to increase awareness, diagnosis and therapy monitoring as a key role in improving the health of asthma sufferers.
“This partnership reinforces our philosophy not only to educate, but to push the envelope for new solutions to asthma,” says Kay Toss, PhD, CAE, and Chief Executive Officer of the ALA.
The Breathmeter technology has received national attention in such publications as the Wall Street Journal, USA Weekend and Prevention Magazine. Dr. McCann and his research team continue to collect valuable data for future research; and they remain confident of one day providing the Breathmeter technology to assist physicians, asthma specialists, and respiratory therapists across the country.
For more information please contact:
Ekips Technologies
710 Asp Avenue, Suite 500
Norman, OK 73069
Phone: 405.307.8803
Fax: 405.307.8807
info@ekipstech.com