Meet PopCheck

Venous thromboembolism (VTE), a condition marked by the formation of blood clots in a vein, presents a significant health threat with mortality rates surpassing those of breast cancer, stroke, and heart attacks. Particularly prevalent in the post-operative patient community, VTE is considered one of the leading causes of preventable death, heightening the risk for individuals in the aftermath of surgery. Despite this, patients are often left with little in the way of medical oversight while recovering from surgery.

According to Dr. Erika Dillard, founder of PopCheck, post-surgery patients often have to rely on self-imposed interpretations of their own symptoms in this risky post-op recovery phase. “During my neurosurgical training, many of the patients I encountered were at very high risk for venous clots,” she said. “In caring for these patients, [who are] often in their most vulnerable state and unable to effectively advocate for themselves, I experienced how reliant we are on subjective information to determine whether a patient is on the brink of developing potentially life-threatening complications.” This leads us to important questions, like figuring out the difference between the pain caused by a blood clot that’s starting to form and the normal pain someone feels after knee surgery.

PopCheck Technologies was founded to eliminate the guesswork and help as many post-operative patients as possible by using a physical device, the VenaCheck, to provide real-time information to both patients and their medical providers through a mobile application. As the device works, it collects information about the patient’s vitals.  If a patient’s information falls outside what AI predictive models deem normal, it is sent to the patient’s healthcare provider for further examination. 

PopCheck has the potential to prevent unplanned hospital visits, re-admissions into the hospital, and dire outcomes following surgeries. In doing so, associated costs for both patients and hospitals can be significantly reduced. 

The Patents2Products Program

Dr. Dillard attributes much of her academic and professional development to the higher education system of Tennessee, having pursued her undergraduate studies at Vanderbilt University and subsequently completing her MD/PhD at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. It was during this foundational period in her educational journey that she discovered the P2P program, thanks to an informative email from her alma mater.

A product of a partnership between Epicenter and the University of Memphis, the Patents2Products Post-Doc program creates funded positions for post-doctoral students and provides them with the necessary tools to launch successful startups in the deep science space. Dr. Dillard participated in the inaugural Patents2Products (P2P) cohort, and as a result, she officially launched PopCheck in 2019.

Dr. Dillard is confident in her title of physician-entrepreneur, and creates her own bridge between the healthcare and medical device industry where oftentimes, there isn’t one. “I’ve done a lot, but I am also appreciating how much more I have to do on this road of being an entrepreneur and running a medical device company. There are a lot of milestones ahead,” Dr. Dillard says, “But I definitely feel very comfortable with the framework and foundation that I built through the University of Memphis. Specifically, as a physician-entrepreneur, having the experience of managing patients who would benefit from the technology that I provide is absolutely invaluable. I think the support and resources being poured into people like me that are physician-entrepreneurs is very important to cultivate them.” 

With PopCheck, Dr. Dillard continues to make her mark as an entrepreneur, winning pitch competitions for both the Nashville Entrepreneur Center and National Black MBA Association Scale Up Pitch Challenge. She’s also enlisted clinical partners for in-patient trials of her products. Underpinning her myriad accomplishments is Dr. Dillard’s commitment to remain patient-centered in under-resourced communities. To that end, Dr. Dillard has traveled to Ghana with Kusudi International to provide medical supplies and services throughout the country. 

PopCheck is currently seeking angel investment and wet lab space. You can learn more about PopCheck and their upcoming plans at popchecktechnologies.com.

Programs like the Patents2Products fellowship are
made possible with the support of donors like you.

The University of Memphis and Epicenter created Patents2Products to encourage post-doc fellows to start for-profit businesses, utilizing patented intellectual property developed both in Memphis and across the United States. The Patents2Products Post-Doc program creates funded positions for research entrepreneurs and provides them with the necessary tools for launching a successful startup.