While patients in countries like the U.S. and Canada take successful visits to the hospital for granted, those in developing countries may undergo a surgery by candlelight, or be simply turned away due to lack of technology.
Sourav Patel, a doctoral student at the University of Minnesota studying electrical engineering, has experienced this, and his lab mates have as well. The team aims to tackle the issue through their startup Aelios Technology, which works to reroute electricity in healthcare facilities to extend the lifespan and duration of critical devices. Through this technology, Aelios aims to help hospitals reach and treat more patients.
Patel recently interned with the National Renewable Energy Lab, where he worked to develop interfaces that make devices more flexible, enabling them to detect disturbances and turn things on and off to stabilize the grid. Patel realized with the help of his lab mates that this idea could be applied to hospitals to save energy and lives.
Their product, the iPlugD, is an “intelligent plug for devices” that reroutes energy from non-critical to critical devices in events of power outages. The device also extends the duration of services that hospitals provides by way of power backup supplies. Aelios Technology estimates that this device will allow healthcare facilities to see 160 additional patients after installation, as well as break even with costs in just four months.
Another benefit of the device is that it can operate without a base connection or Wi-Fi. Patel and his team discovered the need for this when they tested the iPlugD in India in 2017, where the government shut down the internet due to civil unrest. As a result of this incident, healthcare facilities lost all connection.
“This differentiates us from any other home-plug [device],” he said. “Others rely on the internet or an existing connection.”
Aelios' co-founders are Chief Technology Officer Saurav Talukdar, a PhD candidate in mechanical engineering, and Chief Marketing Officer Shreyas Bhaban, a PhD candidate in electrical engineering. The team has competed in multiple startup competitions, winning of this year’s Acara Challenge, which comes with a $5,000 grant. The student startup was also one of two runner-up companies in the 2018 Cleantech University Prize Midwest Showcase this year, and a finalist for a clean-energy competition at MIT.
Most recently, Aelios won the Junior Division of Walleye Tank, a competition for healthcare startups hosted by the University of Minnesota. As part of the win, Aelios automatically qualifies for the first round of the Minnesota Cup – the state's largest startup competition.
“These competitions give us the recognition we need,” said Patel. “People are understanding the concept, that it’s simple yet elegant, and can be easily employed.”
Patel is currently traveling in India and testing Aelios' technology at four healthcare facilities in the country's western region.
Patel is currently traveling in India to continue testing their technology at four healthcare facilities in western India. The main focus for Aelios will be to “develop our company and find channels for customers and partners,” he said.
“Our personal experiences in hospitals with little to no electricity have provided inspiration for this technology,” said Patel of his and his partners’ time in healthcare facilities in India as patients.
