Cascade Metrix has innovated upon an ex-vivo automated blood sampling system and multiplex analytical platform ("AutoPlexer") that is designed to enable increased adoption of multiple POC medical diagnostic applications currently constrained by workflow challenges stemming from manual blood sampling methods. The AutoPlexer enables automated, multi-analyte, closed loop cost-effective measurements for effective Sepsis and Glycemic Management. The company's multiplex patient attached solution enables accurate delivery of lactate, glucose, hemoglobin and oxygen saturation blood measurements without the need for caregiver sample handling leading to infection control and medical error issues. Additionally, the CMX system is automated and closed loop which does not create any blood waste. This is a major advantage as long-stay ICU patients (which represent 80% of the bed days, but only 50% of the patients) become anemic owing to blood testing alone. Anemia itself has been associated with death in the ICU.
The AutoPlexer automatically samples micro-liter quantities of whole blood from a patient and performs frequent measurements of various blood constituents without wasting a single drop of blood. The CM system introduces a whole new paradigm in patient monitoring that will both optimize nursing efficiency and improve patient care.
Other Blood Analytes: CMX plans to add other time sensitive tests to the AutoSampler platform. Whole blood sensors to monitor heparin therapy, blood gases, electrolytes and certain biomarkers will be integrated to the CM sampling platform. Combining leading edge innovations in micro-fluidics, electro-chemistry, and machine intelligence, CMX has developed patentable inventions covering technologies, designs, and other relevant operational aspects.
Technology Development History: Over the years, Cascade Metrix has developed multiple technologies for glucose sensing and automated blood sampling. The picture below gives a snapshot of the various technologies developed and prototyped by CM, starting with mid infrared quantum cascade laser spectroscopy based glucose sensors to a version that uses electrochemical sensors. CM's transition from infrared spectroscopy to electrochemistry based sensing was described in a research article published with the Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology
A fully functional AutoPlexer device with multi-analyte capabilities (including, glucose, lactate, hematocrit, and oxygen saturation) has been developed and undergone successful pre-clinical studies. Preparation for human/clinical studies are underway that will be followed by regulatory filings.
CAUTION: Investigational device, limited by federal law to investigational use.
FOUNDERS
Frank Lloyd, Jr, M.D. MBA is the Co-founder and President of Cascade Metrix. He is leading the clinical operations of Cascade, in addition to helping raise private investments. He has led clinical research and development through his association with industry and academia for more than 20 years. He has also held appointments as a Clinical Associate Professor in Surgery at the Indiana University School of Medicine, President of the Center of Surgical Sciences and Trauma, and Medical Director of Methodist Research Institute. Dr. Lloyd graduated from IU School of Medicine, followed by a residency in general surgery from Howard University (Washington DC), and a fellowship in surgical oncology from Roswell Park Memorial Hospital (Buffalo, NY). He also completed the physician MBA program from IU's Kelley School of Business. He has been elected twice as the Coroner of Marion County, Indianapolis.
Kislaya Kunjan, PhD, MBA is the Co-founder and CEO of Cascade Metrix. He is the lead inventor of the product technology and is managing the company's product and business development aspects in collaboration with its partners and strategic investors alike. He holds an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue (West Lafayette, IN) and an MBA from Cornell University (Ithaca, NY). While at Purdue, he designed and developed a novel infrared glucose sensing system under the mentorship of Prof. Jay Gore. His prior professional experience spans sales engineering with Saint-Gobain, medical device development with Vista Biosciences and most recently a product management role with Johnson & Johnson/LifeScan. He completed his PhD in Health Informatics from the Indiana University School of Informatics and Computing (Indianapolis, IN).
David T. Giddings is a Co-Founder and serves as Chief Business Officer (CBO) of Cascade Metrix. His business career has been focused on healthcare, information technology, and life sciences businesses with both established and emerging publicly & privately held companies. He was with Eastman Kodak in General Management positions in Kodak's commercial Imaging and Information Systems and Healthcare Groups. Mr. Giddings joined Boehringer Mannheim Corporation in 1991 as VP and General Manager of their diagnostics Division and subsequently became President and COO of the company. He was appointed Chairman, President, and CEO of Diametrics Medical in 1995, a NASDAQ traded company, where he served for 6 years. Mr. Giddings served as Digilab Inc’s President & CEO until July, 2009, and remains an active shareholder in the company.
ADVISORY BOARD
Peter Rule has had a 30 year career leading medical device and diagnostic companies from early start up to beyond an IPO. In diabetes, Peter led MiniMed as its President and Chief Operating Office and member of the Board of directors (now Medtronic Diabetes Care), establishing the insulin pump market in the US and starting the CGM franchise as a separate team. He was also a co-founder and Chairman of the Board of Therasense (now Abbott Diabetes Care), establishing the direction for the first ultra-low blood sampling meter (“Freestyle”) and the Navigator CGM. Other successful companies Peter has led include PercuSurge, the world’s first embolic protection company in interventional cardiology, also purchased by Medtronic, and Ekos Corporation, a drug device delivery company for the treatment of Pulmonary Embolism, DVT, and PAO, purchased by BTG. Peter has been involved in the design of over 20 clinical trials, and was on the advisory board of the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT). Peter is a named inventor on over 50 US patents. Recently, Peter led the creation of the first ICU CGM at OptiScan Biomedical, leaving after gaining FDA approval. Peter currently consults to early stage and established device and diagnostic companies, through his consulting firm PRI. Clients include breakthrough diabetes companies. Peter has an undergraduate degree from the University of Southern California and an MBA from Harvard University.
Peter T. Kissinger, Ph.D., is the founder of Bioanalytical Systems, Inc., (NASDAQ BASI) - a life science contract research firm, which he led from 1974-2007, and is Professor of Bioanalytical Chemistry at Purdue University. Dr. Kissinger has published more than 230 scientific papers and is a Fellow of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In 2005, he became the Chairman of Prosolia, which markets mass spectrometry innovations for life science, industrial and homeland security applications. In 2007, he and Candice Kissinger founded Phlebotics, Inc., a medical device company focused on diagnostic information for intensive care medicine.
Sep 05, 2025: Cascade Metrix has received a Phase II SBIR notice of award of $2.5M over 3 years from NIH/NIGMS (Project # 2R44GM146498-02; "A Multiplex analyzer for Sepsis and Beyond"; PI Kislaya Kunjan). Additional details on the project are are available on Reporter.NIH.gov Portal.
Jul 31, 2024: Cascade Metrix completes the prototype development and preclinial validation of an automated multiplex analyzer (AutoPlexer) to support early diagnosis and treatment of sepsis.
Aug 02, 2022: Cascade Metrix has received a SBIR Phase 1 grant award of $350k from NIH/NIGMS (Project # 1R43GM146498-01; "A Multiplex Analyzer for Sepsis Management"; PI: Kislaya Kunjan). Additional details on the project are available on the RePORTER.NIH.gov Portal. In addition to this, Elevate Ventures is provided additional non-dilutive matching funds.
Aug 28, 2018: Cascade Metrix was invited to participate in the Startup Company Showcase at the Diabetes Technology Meeting 2018!
April 2, 2016: Cascade Metrix in partnership with Purdue University’s Pharmacology Testing Facility (West Lafayette, IN) conducted a 3-day pilot study on two pigs.
Feb 10, 2016: Cascade Metrix is pleased to release preliminary results (including videos) from ongoing studies in pig and rat models.
May 10, 2015: Cascade Metrix presented a poster in the International Hospital Diabetes Meeting held in San Francisco, CA from May 8-9, 2015. The poster demonstrated the performance of the core platform technology in a preclinical setting in partnership with Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine (West Lafayette, IN). The CMI device sampled blood from a swine model from a central (jugular) venous catheter and tracked the blood glucose concentration in a fully automated fashion over the study period.
May 04, 2015: Cascade Metrix changes incorporation to an Limited Liability Company (LLC).
March 18 2015: Cascade Metrix has entered into a pre-clinical trial partnership with the Purdue Veterinary Medicine and the Translational Pharmacology in West Lafayette, IN.
Jan 2015: Cascade Metrix has completed the design and development of a 'pre-clinical' device that performs fully automated blood sampling and glucose measurement in lab animals. The system is based on the integration of a lab-quality reusable glucose sensor and a proprietary automated blood sample management system. The sensor has been sourced from CM's sensor partner, BST Biosensor Technology, GmbH - a leading European manufacturer and distributor of electrochemical sensor systems for glucose and lactate.
Jan, 2013: The USPTO issued Cascade Metrix its key patent on the automated blood sampling and analysis technology platform. The patent [# 8,348,844] titled "Automated blood sampler and analyzer" was issued on 8 Jan. 2013.
Mar 2012: Cascade Metrix enters into a collaborative partnership with a leading European manufacturer and distributor of electrochemical sensor systems for glucose and lactate. The company's name is BST Biosensor Technology, GmbH [Berlin, Germany]
Aug 2010: Cascade Metrix's abstract is accepted for a poster presentation in the International Hospital Diabetes Conference [San Diego, CA; Oct 8-9, 2010].
Jan 2010: David T. Giddings, a veteran medical device executive joins CMI as the Chief Business Officer.
Oct 2009: Cascade Metrix is selected as a finalist in the Purdue University LifeSciences Business Plan championship from among 27 start-ups from across the nation. The company is featured in Inside Indiana Business and Journal and Courier
May 2009: World renowned analytical chemist, Peter T Kissinger joins the scientific advisory board of Cascade Metrix.
Oct 2008: Cascade Metrix signs an agreement with Philips (Philips Medical Systems Boeblingen GmbH) for interfacing the automated glucose monitoring system data with Philips patient's monitors through the Vuelink Interface
Aug 2008: Cascade Metrix submits an abstract at the 2008 Diabetes Technology Meeting based on the integration of its blood sampling system with standard blood glucose meters
Mar 2008: Cascade Metrix article is accepted and published in the Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology ["Automated Blood Sampling and Glucose Sensing in Critical Care Settings"; Kislaya Kunjan, Frank Lloyd; Journal of Diabetes Sci & Tech, 2008]
Sep 2007: The Chief Editor of the Journal of Diabetes Sci. and Technology, David Klonoff, MD., invites CMI to write an original article in the area of automated blood sampling and measurement in support of ICU tight glycemic control
Nov 2006: Cascade Metrix presents a poster in the Diabetes Technology Society meeting in Atlanta, GA ["Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Whole Blood using Mid IR Technology"]
July 2006: Cascade Metrix, Inc. is registered as a C-corporation in the state of Indiana
Cascade Metrix, LLC.
11650 Olio Road, Suite 1000-110
Fishers, IN 46037-7619 USA
Email:
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