How Nspire is Solving a NICU Problem by Thinking Beyond Miniaturization
Why Treating Babies as Small Adults is a Serious Mistake
Medical devices have traditionally been designed for adults and then scaled down for infants. This outdated method overlooks critical anatomical and physiological differences between adults and newborns. These differences have severe, life-changing consequences, particularly in neonatal respiratory care, where the precise delivery of oxygen is vital.
Unlike adults, infants require oxygen within an extremely narrow therapeutic window. Too little oxygen can cause devastating outcomes like severe brain injury or even death. Conversely, excess oxygen, a risk uniquely significant for infants, can result in lifelong blindness and chronic lung disease. Despite these well-known dangers, NICUs still largely rely on nasal cannulas technology invented for adults over seventy years ago.
The High Costs of Outdated Nasal Cannulas
The nasal cannulas currently used in NICUs frequently fail infants because they're essentially smaller versions of adult equipment. This mismatch leads to continuous oxygen leakage, painful skin irritation, and imprecise oxygen delivery. Nurses must constantly adjust these levels manually, an exhausting, error-prone practice costing each NICU approximately $9.6 million per year in nursing time alone.
Moreover, preventable complications arising from improper oxygen management dramatically inflate healthcare costs. Blindness caused by excess oxygen can cost around half a million dollars per case, while respiratory complications and prolonged NICU stays further escalate expenses. These scenarios create what's known as "million-dollar NICU babies," significantly burdening families and healthcare systems alike.
Nspire’s Innovative Approach to Oxygen Delivery for Infants
Understanding the urgency of this issue, Nspire has developed a nasal cannula specifically designed for infants. Made from soft silicone, the Nspire cannula comfortably fits infants' noses.
The device does more than just deliver oxygen efficiently; it uniquely provides controlled airway pressure at low oxygen flow rates, a feature previously unavailable in nasal cannulas. CEO Chris Wilson vividly describes it as "AirPods for the nose," highlighting its comfort and precision. Co-founder Dr. Wadsworth Williams, a pediatric physician who saw the painful realities of outdated equipment firsthand, explains, “Witnessing the severe complications from traditional nasal cannulas motivated us to design something specifically tailored to newborn anatomy. Our device reduces preventable complications and their profound emotional and financial impacts.”
With over 400,000 premature infants born every year in the United States and nearly 15 million globally, the demand for precision care in neonatal respiratory health is undeniable. Nspire signals that better solutions are not only possible but on their way.
Next-Generation Technology Using AI for Real-Time Care
Building on this innovation, Nspire is developing an advanced version of their cannula integrated with artificial intelligence and infant vital sign data. This new cannula will respond to the vital signs of the infant and make suggestions to clinicians to help keep their oxygen therapy inside the narrow therapeutic window. The result is improved infant safety, better health outcomes, significantly reduced nursing workloads, and further savings estimated at around $9 million per year per NICU.
Why Nspire Chose mHUB
Bringing a medical device to life requires more than just a great idea. It means navigating a complex landscape where engineering, medicine, business, and regulatory compliance all have to align. For the Nspire team, this journey has been filled with trial, error, and continuous learning.
“The intersection of the legal, engineering, medical, and business domains are critical to developing a successful MedTech device,” says Dr. Wadsworth Williams. “To find harmony in these areas takes an incredible amount of time and diligence, and for us it has been learning through iterative prototyping. mHUB’s commitment to physical prototyping has enabled us the opportunity to greatly test and improve our product. mHUB has been a great value add for our company because of the access to so many other founders that have already encountered problems that we are dealing with.”
mHUB gave Nspire the environment and support to accelerate development, learn from others in the field, and refine its solution with greater confidence and speed.
Milestones and Momentum
Nspire has made rapid progress since launching. The company has filed a non-provisional patent and developed several prototypes, which have already been tested and reviewed by neonatologists, respiratory therapists, nurses, and patient families. The team is actively incorporating feedback from these users to improve the device through ongoing physical prototyping at mHUB.
Their first-generation cannula has been classified as a Class I, 510(k)-exempt device, allowing for a more streamlined path to market. With mHUB’s resources, Nspire is finalizing its design and conducting rigorous rounds of testing, including biocompatibility trials. The team plans to begin placing their device in patients by summer 2025.
A Diverse Team Solving a Critical Problem
Behind Nspire is a passionate, multidisciplinary leadership team uniquely qualified to address this urgent need. Chris Wilson, CEO, offers over 25 years of expertise in medical device innovation and has successfully founded and led healthcare startups. Olga Cuznetova, MBA, CTO and co-founder, contributes extensive experience in healthcare analytics, transforming complex data into practical clinical insights. David Kohan-Ghadosh, JD, COO and co-founder, guides regulatory compliance and strategic direction using his background in law and entrepreneurship. Alongside co-founder Dr. Williams, whose pediatric experience inspired the company, this team is redefining pediatric respiratory care, ensuring infants receive the precise, effective, and compassionate care they deserve.
Learn more about how mHUB supports early-stage medical device companies
mHUB has supported over 1,200 innovators by providing a hyper-resourced environment with the goal of commercializing new hardtech innovation. The mHUB community has generated more than $1.96B in revenue, launched more than 1,700 products, hired more than 6,800 employees, and raised over $2.02B in capital. To date, mHUB has invested in 54 startups across smart manufacturing, energy tech, and medtech.
Learn more about their MedTech accelerator program and venture capital fund, mHUB Ventures.
