Lehigh Valley, PA
The Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania has announced the winners of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Innovation Awards. Winners will be honored at the Ben Franklin iXchange event, scheduled for 5:30 PM on Thursday, May 7th at the Zoellner Arts Center at Lehigh University.
Awards will be presented to seven recipients, companies or individuals who have achieved business success through Ben Franklin funding and assistance, have helped others to achieve success, or have improved their businesses through innovation. Each award recipient exemplifies outstanding achievement in that particular category.
The purposes of the innovation awards are to congratulate winners on their success and achievement, to highlight the effectiveness of the Ben Franklin program, and to inform entrepreneurs and established manufacturers about the resources that are available to them in northeastern Pennsylvania. The 2015 Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania Innovation:
Product Innovation – The company that best demonstrates the commercialization of a unique, innovative product that creatively and effectively meets a market need.
LifeAire Systems, LLC, Allentown – Kathryn C. Worrilow, Ph.D., Founder and CEO
LifeAire Systems discovers, develops, manufactures, and commercializes revolutionary air purification systems for the healthcare industry. Its systems remove pathogens and other contaminants from the air more effectively than any other available. The system complements surface decontamination protocols, creating a healthier environment for patients and medical staff and enabling significant improvement in clinical outcomes and patient care. There is considerable international interest in the system.
LifeAire Systems’ products have been installed throughout the U.S. and are protecting the highly sensitive clinical setting of In Vitro Fertilization, resulting in an average of more than 50% improvement in clinical pregnancy rates. Other applications to reduce the spread of communicable diseases such as influenza, tuberculosis, and measles may also evolve. More than 1.7 million patients in the U.S. develop Hospital Acquired Infections each year, costing $37-45B annually. The company’s technology will also help address this enormous issue. LifeAire Systems’ technology will impact a continuum of patient care, beginning with the protection of the embryo, to the infant in the neonatal intensive care unit, to the patient in the operating room, and to the elderly in long-term care facilities.
Other awards winners include:
Entrepreneurial Achievement – Highwood USA, LLC, John Quarmley, President
Incubator Graduate – Luminaire Testing Laboratory, Inc., Michael L. Grather, President and CEO
Innovative Application of Technology – EthosGen LLC, James Abrams, CEO and Founder
Manufacturing Achievement – Medico Industries, Inc, Thomas Medico, President
Entrepreneurial Advocate – Andrew Stanten, President, Altitude Marketing, Emmaus
Partnership – Edward J. McCann, Jr., Retired COO, Berks County Workforce Investment Board
The iXchange is a premier business technology networking event in northeastern Pennsylvania. Last year, more than 550 technology entrepreneurs, business people, economic developers, venture capitalists, political leaders, educators, students, bankers, lawyers, and accountants from Ben Franklin’s 21-county service area attended, and even more are expected this year.
The iXchange combines the presentation of Ben Franklin’s twentieth annual Innovation Awards, a keynote address by a national speaker, and two executive networking sessions. The registration fee for the iXchange is $75 in advance or $95 after April 27. To learn more or to register, go to www.nep.benfranklin.org or http://ennect.com/e2422, e-mail [email protected], or call 610-758-5200
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About LifeAire Systems — LifeAire Systems, LLC is an innovative healthcare technology company that discovers, develops, manufactures and commercializes revolutionary air filtration systems exclusively for the healthcare and life sciences industry. The company’s air filtration systems remove pathogens and other contaminants from the air creating a healthier environment for patients and for medical staff, enabling a significant improvement in clinical outcomes. For additional information about the company, please visit LifeAire.com.