# SBIR Phase II: Electronic Measurement Device of Capillary Refill Time to Improve Outcomes from Sepsis

> **NSF 01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT** · PROMEDIX, INC. (OR) · $1,144,758

## Abstract

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase 2 project is a novel rapid automated external system for improving patient outcomes due to sepsis. Sepsis remains one of the most frequent causes of hospitalizations with 1.7M US cases annually, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, reasons for patient deaths in the ICU, and one of the most common final pathways from infection to death. Each hour delay in the administration of antibiotics is associated with an 8% increase in mortality for septic shock patients and an 8% increase in the rate of progression to shock for severe sepsis patients. A delay in antibiotic administration of more than 1.5 hours in septic patients without shock is associated with 35% higher odds of mortality, and renders the patient at nearly 40% greater risk of stroke/heart attack (both ischemic and hemorrhagic) for up to 12 months post sepsis. The company’s novel approach automates and quantifies current manual, subjective methods for evaluating clinical circulatory measures used to diagnose sepsis, with the goal of integrating into clinical workflows for aiding treatment decisions including therapy IV fluids and vasopressors to maximize end-organ perfusion. The commercial impact of the first-generation project is to provide automated quantifiable measures of current digital manipulation in the 6M febrile patients reporting to emergency departments in the US each year, representing a total market of $3B.
 

## Key facts

- **NSF award ID:** 2451783
- **Awardee organization:** PROMEDIX, INC. (OR)
- **SAM.gov UEI:** GKUNY11BL5D4
- **PI:** Scott R Filer
- **Primary program:** 01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
- **All programs:** BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
- **Estimated total:** $1,144,758
- **Funds obligated:** $1,144,758
- **Transaction type:** Cooperative Agreement
- **Period:** 09/01/2025 → 08/31/2027

## Primary source

NSF Award Search: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2451783

## Citation

> US National Science Foundation, Award 2451783, SBIR Phase II: Electronic Measurement Device of Capillary Refill Time to Improve Outcomes from Sepsis. Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-07 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nsf/2451783. Licensed CC0.

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