Maureen L. Mulvihill co–founded Actuated MedicalHow government grants fueled our product launch

Entrepreneurs want to make a difference.

When we started Actuated Medical (AMI), we knew the right technologies integrated into the right medical devices would help patients. We had big ideas and devices we were pursuing but then Paul Frankhouser said, “You know what you need to do? You need to clear clogged feeding tubes.”

We knew that was a great idea but we had no money to develop the device on our own. Angel and VC investors were not willing to fund us because the idea was too early and unproven. Ben Franklin provided seed funding the year before but could not offer anything additional.

So where could we find money? The National Science Foundation and the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program to the rescue! TubeClear was on its way!

TubeClear deviceTubeClear, a device to clear clogged feeding tubes, was developed using these grants and a little angel investment. We manufacture it in Bellefonte and sold it worldwide through Corpak MedSystems.

AMI was selected as a 2014 Tibbetts Award for SBIR Excellence in commercialization. We continue to leverage SBIR grants with other funding sources – including increasing product sales – to develop technology, grow the company and make a difference in patient care.

The SBIR program is the federal government’s strategic investment in high technology innovation through small business. It is a competitive program with a win rate of about 12 percent.

The program is structured in three phases. Phase I – about $150,000 – establishes technical merit, feasibility and commercial potential of the idea. Phase II – about $1 million – moves the technology to commercial readiness. And Phase III focuses on commercialization.

Commercialization, patents, family-sustaining job creation and tax revenue are just a few of the economic benefits of the program. The trick to SBIR success is to have a commercialization strategy before you write the Phase I grant. Success is not an exciting prototype, it is a device on the market.

For more information on the SBIR program, visit www.sbir.gov. For more information on Actuated Medical, visit www.actuatedmedical.com and for TubeClear, visit www.tubeclear.com.

Maureen L. Mulvihill co–founded Actuated Medical in 2006. She has been a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Award, recognized by Pennsylvania Business Central as one of the top 100 business people in Central Pennsylvania and as an Enterprising Women of the Year by Enterprising Women Magazine.

Penn State is offering a workshop to secure Small Business Innovation Research Grants on March 26 at the Nittany Lion Inn. For more information contact Don Mothersbaugh at (814) 863-6335 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..