Ingrid Helgestad participate in 2017 Delta I-Fund program

2017 Nov 16

Ingrid Helgestad of Little Rock, AR, is among a group of three University of Arkansas at Little Rock students who are participating in the 2017 Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub Delta I-Fund progam.

The Delta I-Fund is an early stage proof-of-concept fund created to capitalize and train up-and-coming entrepreneurs. The purpose of the 12-week program is to mentor young business minds while helping them to develop and validate their ideas.

Together, Nicholas Lester, Ingrid Hegelstad, and Noah Asher teamed up with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Bioventures to commercialize a medical mouth guard that could reduce problems in surgeries involving endotracheal tubes.

It is common for patients having surgery or bronchoscope procedures to bite the endotracheal tubes used for ventilation. To prevent patients from damaging their tongue, teeth, or gums, surgical technicians use plastic syringes, rolls of gauze, or wooden sticks with foam attached to the top to try to prevent them from biting the equipment.

With the medical mouth guard, the chance of oral trauma can be reduced. The soft polymer bite block prevents patients from using their teeth to bite down on the equipment and safeguards them from dental distress.

"We chose something that had a good chance of market success and something that's also solving an issue that we all care about and impacts the world for the better," Asher said.

Each team accepted into the program has access to up to $50,000 in investment funding, and so far, Spiritum Solutions has gone through the first stage of pitching and has received $5,000. The students are using the funds to conduct research and interviews and attend conferences.

"Our goal right now is to get as much clinical backing and validation for the problem we're trying to solve," Asher said. "Once we have that backing, that really empowers us to go to the next level."

The next step for the team would be getting the product through FDA trials.