CirQ HaLe

Differing product lifecycles and recommended wear-times of masks have left consumers unsure of when to change / replace their masks, and often leave them in a state of dangerous false-security by continuing to wear soiled and ineffective protective face coverings. Hale removes the guess-work by alerting users if their mask fits properly, and when to wash or replace their mask based on their unique usage patterns. 

The Hale sensor ensures healthcare providers' protective masks are being worn correctly and effectively. Hale Platform's indoor location tracking (contact tracing) can reduce outbreaks by understanding how workers have interacted with their environment during their shift. Hale can also be used as a simple, low-cost solution for monitoring patients' respiratory data.

Companies in manufacturing, mining, construction, and the service industry can ensure their workers' respiratory condition is normal, protective respiration equipment is functioning properly, and that they are adhering to company safety protocols.

Face masks worn to protect against particulates, air pollution, bacteria, viruses, volatile organic compounds commonly found in the home, gases, and many other environmental toxins, become ineffective and dangerous to continue using after the recommended usage time. Living in Asia, masks are a routine part of life, and commonly worn during heavy pollution and cold/flu season. Increases in global wild-fires are also creating more need for protective mask usage. Unfortunately, most masks are worn incorrectly or continue to be used when the filter is soiled or no longer effective.

The effectiveness of the filter decreases over time based on external environmental factors and personal usage, specifically how many breaths a user has taken while wearing a mask.

CirQ HaLe is a novel smart-material sensor that monitors user respiration rate and CO2 build-up inside a protective mask. The rechargeable sensor attaches to the mask using high-capacity magnets embedded in the device.

 Respiration rate

• monitors users’ breaths per minute allowing users to track changes in respiration depending on activity levels

CO₂ build-up

• if air quality in the mask is reduced, the user will be alerted to find a safe place to take a breath of fresh air, or reduce strenuous activity

A mobile application pairs with the device using Bluetooth technology. The accompanying application employs proprietary machine learning algorithms for data analysis.

Active mask-fit analysis

• tells the user if the mask is being worn properly for effective protection

Wash / replace mask notifications

• Proprietary algorithms determine optimal wash frequency and replacement intervals

For healthcare, industrial, manufacturing, or other organization level applications, interior location beacon tracking is also deployed, and respiration/mask data is shared. Beacon tracking is critical to understanding how workers are interacting with their workplace environment, potential cross-contaminations and contact tracing, safety protocol adherence, and emergency situations. 

Not only due to the current pandemic situation, but also increasing air pollution (industrial and environmental) are leading to a future where a deeper understanding of these effects on the respiratory system, how to prevent or protect against these effects, as well as finding effective treatments, monitoring current conditions and tracking improvement/decline is of the utmost importance. Current medical equipment technology requires expensive and complicated machines, administered by trained professionals, to collect and analyze respiration. CirQ Hale empowers users to better understand how their personal respiration data effects their health, and how to best keep themselves protective. Companies and organizations can improve their double-bottom line by further protecting their employees from serious illnesses, as well as reduce operating expenses like insurance, workmen's compensation, and reduced efficiency from employee medical leave. 

Hale Features related to the Challenge:

Active mask-fit Assessment

• ensures individual users and/or front line workers are wearing their mask correctly to reduce/eliminate droplet ingress

Wash / Replace Mask Alerts

• based on individual's unique respiration, users are alerted to the optimal timing to wash or replace their mask. There is no guess-work involved from the user, and soiled/used filters can be replaced for optimal levels of safety

Interior Beacon Tracking

• workers movements through their workplace are recorded and correlated with high-risk / low-risk areas

As of submission CirQ has produced 1000+ units of the Hale sensor to a mask manufacturer in Sri Lanka. They are currently beginning to sell Mask + Hale Sensor package units to individual consumers, as well as corporate and government clients. The product has already gone through multiple iterations, tests, and certifications. We are in the process of onboarding further companies/organizations, as well as preparing to launch the product to individual consumers.

We are utilizing new smart-material technology to greatly reduce the size and cost of the respiration sensor. In THIS application, paired with a protective mask, new insights into the behavior of mask wearing and respiration can be attained. Going further, the same sensor can be more broadly applied to specific respiratory medical conditions and athletic performance. The smart-material can be further extended to detecting specific health focused biomarkers prevalent in breath, as well as food packaging to detect dangerous off-gassing of spoiled food.

Currently, the sensor has only been deployed to team members and designated partners / development testers. ~25

Within 1 year, our goal is to produce and deploy 50,000 sensors to front-line workers, healthcare providers, and individual users.

In 5 years, we will have reached 10,000,000+ units through partnerships with major mask manufacturers, governments, and multi-national corporations.

Regarding the Health and Wellness of our users, our primary goal is to reduce the negative long-term effects of air pollution, the spreading of deadly viruses, the reduction of industrial and workplace respiratory illness, and the safeguarding of front-line healthcare workers' respiratory health. By users and organizations better understanding their personal respiration patterns, they can be safer, more healthy in the short and long term, and more productive in their jobs. Furthermore, collecting real-world evidence by deploying biomarker sensors outside of the clinical setting can unveil deeper insights into respiration and overall health.

Environmentally, the Hale sensor reduces medical waste by optimizing the timing for changing or washing protective masks. This not only keeps the users' more safe and healthy, but reduces unnecessary waste added to land fills and oceans.

Full-time Staff: 3 [2 Founders {1 Business, 1 Technical}, 1 software developer]

Contractors: 2+ [Manufacturing Lead, Software Development / UI Team]

Interns: 2 [Business Operations, Designer]

Partner Organization: 5+ [Smart Material R&D]

The 2 founders come from Sri Lanka and the United States, and live in a 3rd country, China. Our organization is rooted in multi-cultural thinking, and a global approach to both business and product design. 

Biman Liyanage, CEO, from Sri Lanka, views the world through a technical lens, and specifically, how the newest technologies can be implemented quickly, inexpensively, and in a way that are most impactful for users. During his time in China, Biman has a depth of experience running technology/software projects for a variety of multi-national corporations, has designed, developed, and lead the manufacturing of multiple smart-hardware projects. He is also the co-founder of an affective computing based AI system to detect human emotion through voice analysis. Biman also gives his time tirelessly to furthering the improvement of technical founders' skills in underserved communities across the globe, as well as acting as a consultant/board member to various non-profits, and underserved community programs.

Mitch Miller, from the west coast of the United States, has always seen the world through entrepreneurship, and analyzing even menial tasks for unnoticed inefficiencies and potential optimization. Having 10+ years experience in the customer service sector further developed his entrepreneurial skills with a focus on overdelivering on customer expectations, and tailoring the same product to a variety of customers, in unique ways. Mr. Miller has consulted and mentored various early-stage startups in Lean Startup and Human Centered Design methodologies.

CirQ Technologies is a multiracial, multicultural, and multinational team. We understand deeply that we bring not only our varied viewpoints and cultures to the organization, but our individual histories, experiences, and stories as well. We are united by our work, and our drive to not just make and sell more gadgets, but to push the boundaries what can be done, and how we can improve peoples lives through technology and new forms of data. 

Our diversity is our greatest strength. Just as any company requires various skill sets to complete the tasks at hand, so does a diverse approach to tackling difficult technical and design challenges. We are dedicated to hiring people who may not have the historical pedigree of prestigious universities, but who can think on their feet, adapt quickly, and work hard to learn new skills.

No matter who or what you are, how you identify, or where you are in the world, if you can deliver, we want you on our team. We work together and build great products for EVERYONE, period.

CirQ Technologies has a goal to not only improve peoples' health and wellness through novel sensors and real-world data collection, but also to be more integrated with other partners, in the communities we all collectively serve. As a technology solutions provider, we work with various stakeholders throughout the product development process, and are constantly discovering new opportunities where our skills can be utilized, and issues can be solved through collaborative cooperation. Having a deep network of stakeholders with shared values will ensure we can continue finding new pathways to create the most impactful products possible.

Being a multi-national team, with stakeholders spread over multiple countries, it can be difficult to find the right local talent capable of working remotely, and independently. As we aim to provide solutions to a variety of sectors, finding specialized/experienced individuals for some sectors, and more generalist/adaptive individuals for others is challenging. We want to work with the very best people in their skill group that share our vision of creating impactful and novel solutions to actual problems.

Currently, international travel is very challenging due to ever-changing COVID restrictions across the globe. This greatly increases the challenge of business development, and demonstrating our technology in person. Furthermore, our technology is very adaptable to vastly different industries, making it difficult to create and maintain strong relationships within each sector.

We would love to present our solution to any/all organizations researching or studying Respiratory Illnesses and Disease and air pollution. Collecting real-world data, outside of clinical settings, as well as diagnosing and monitoring illness/disease treatments, improvement, and decline is of vital importance. 

• American Lung Association
• The Global Alliance against Chronic Respiratory Diseases (GARD)
• Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA)
• Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS)
• American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI)
• American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP)
• Asia Pacific Society of Respirology (APSR)
• European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI)
• European Respiratory Society (ERS)
• International Collaboration in Asthma, Allergy and Immunology (iCAALL)
•  International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC)
• Pan African Thoracic Society (PATS)
• International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union)
• Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand (TSANZ)
•  Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA)

Targeted PPE Mask Manufacturers

• Kimberly-Clark
• 3M
• Honeywell
• Dupont
• UVEX