InPress Technologies is a medical device company working toward a solution to postpartum hemorrhage (PPH,) the number one cause of maternal death. Our single-minded focus is to improve radically the treatment path for postpartum hemorrhage from the traumatic, life-altering condition that it is today. With our simple, non-surgical device, we are devoted to improving the lives of women around the world.
InPress Technologies was a company-in-residence at the Fogarty Institute for Innovation (FII,) in Mountain View CA. FII is a catalyst for medical device innovation and provides intellectual and physical resources to early-stage innovators whose ideas have significant technical merit and a high potential of improving the lives of people around the world. In July 2014, InPress was the recipient of the Lefteroff Innovator Award, which directly funds projects for promising new innovators working on pre-screened medical ideas. The Lefteroff Fund was developed to recognize Tracy Lefteroff for his legacy of commitment and dedication to entrepreneurship, investment and innovation in the life sciences.
InPress Technologies traces its history to Cal Poly (California Polytechnic State University) in San Luis Obispo, CA, where two biomedical engineers conceived our innovative approach to postpartum hemorrhage. Over the next couple of years, the team received extensive support from Innovation Quest, the San Luis Obispo HotHouse Accelerator, and the Cal Poly Small Business Development Center. The encouragement of these organizations helped the founders synthesize their idea further, conduct initial analyses, and outline a path to bring the product to market.
Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is excessive bleeding in a mother after childbirth. PPH is the leading cause of perinatal maternal death around the world—it is estimated that one woman dies from PPH every four minutes.
Clinically, 80% of the instances of PPH are caused by the failure of the uterus to contract after childbirth. This condition, known as uterine atony, leaves the blood vessels fully dilated and brings about unobstructed bleeding.
The InPress Postpartum Hemorrhage Intrauterine Device facilitates the body's natural mechanism for healing to address postpartum hemorrhage, without pharmaceuticals, hysterectomy, or other invasive surgical procedures. As opposed to merely treating the symptoms of PPH, the InPress Device is designed to stop bleeding by stimulating uterine contraction. When the InPress Device is inserted into a uterus upon childbirth, its proprietary mechanism is intended to stimulate the body's natural post-delivery response by gently contracting the uterus back to the right postpartum size.
The InPress Device will work quickly and effectively. It can dramatically reduce the cost of healthcare during childbirth and substantially reduce the risk of loss of life. We foresee the InPress Device becoming a part of the standard procedure for childbirth around the world. Our vision is to make the InPress Device affordable and accessible in developed and developing countries thus helping save the lives of women around the world.
"The InPress technology has the potential to change the way postpartum hemorrhage is treated and save many lives."Suellen Miller, Director of Safe Motherhood Program
"The InPress device is uniquely designed to work in concert with normal uterine mechanisms to prevent or stop PPH."Jan Segnitz, MD, OB/GYN
"Given the physiology of the uterus, the InPressDr. Rebekah Sharp, practicing OB/GYN, Michigan
device is the only approach that makes sense."
Anne Morrissey, CEO, leads team InPress with a focus on building a profitable and sustainable company that will have lasting impact. Anne brings > 20 years of successful early stage experience including co-founding Vivant Medical (Minimally Invasive Lumpectomy) and Ucan Products (Sustainable Consumer Products). Her passion is commercializing products that make a difference. Anne has directed the successful turnaround of core businesses (GSI/TYCO), the creation of new businesses, and fundraising and strategic direction for many startups. She holds several patents.
Jessie Becker, co-founder and COO of InPress Technologies, was named one of Forbes 30 Under 30 in Healthcare in 2015. Becker has raised $2.4 million in seed financing. Investors include legendary California inventor and surgeon Dr. Thomas Fogarty. Jessie was instrumental in starting the entrepreneurial movement at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. As one of the first employees of the Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE), she created and led programs for student entrepreneurs. Most notably, the HotHouse, a business incubator and accelerator for both Cal Poly and the San Luis Obispo business community.
Nathan leads the development of the InPress device from concept to commercial product. He is a successful medical device engineer with over 13 years of experience leading technology innovation, product development, managing transitions to manufacturing, and life-cycle management of life science-products. Nathan is driven to maximize the accessibility to innovative medical technology solutions in order to have the greatest impact on the patients.
Amy is our Lead Engineer. She has a Masters degree in Biomedical Engineering from Cal Poly, with an emphasis on hemorrhage control. Her experience in the medical device industry provides the necessary functional knowledge for design improvement and validation. Amy is inspirited to create innovative technology that has a positive global impact.
Rachel Acuña-Narvaez, JD,
oversees Regulatory Affairs and Clinical Research for InPress. She is responsible for creating and executing the clinical and regulatory strategies to support InPress device development, registration and commercialization. For over a decade, Rachel has helped run clinical trials, ensure regulatory compliance, develop corporate infrastructure, and obtain regulatory approvals worldwide.
Jan Segnitz, MD, is the CMO for InPress. He is Board Certified in OB/GYN. During his 30 years of clinical experience he has served on the Clinical faculty at Stanford University, run a private practice of general OB/GYN for 28 years in San Jose, and served as the Director of hospital based OB/GYN services at two San Francisco Bay area hospitals. Dr Segnitz attended Medical School in his home state, at the University of Kentucky. He completed his OB/GYN residency at Stanford University.
Jim Verhulst heads up Quality Assurance. As a biopharmaceutical engineer with over 35 years of experience in the life sciences, he has developed novel production and software systems and the test protocols required to test and validate them. Jim was drawn to the company because InPress has the potential to save the lives of countless women around the globe.
Anne Schmults is the Director of Business Development for InPress Technologies. She brings more than 15 years of medical device experience with leadership roles in sales and marketing, and sales management. Anne has worked with early stage companies, from clinical trials through FDA approval and successful market launches. Anne has also worked for large medical device companies in new product testing and evaluation, and in sales management. Anne is enthusiastic about the domestic and global implications of the InPress device to improve women’s health.
Dr Gita Arjun, FACOG, is a clinical adviser. She is a Board-certified OB/GYN. After completing her residency in Evanston, IL, she returned to India to work. In 2013, she retired from active clinical practice after 32 years as the Director and OB/GYN at E.V. Kalyani Medical Centre, Chennai. She has edited two OB/GYN text books, co-authored a third, and authored a best-selling pregnancy book for Indian women. She is now focusing on social impact projects for global maternal and child health.
InPress Technologies is excited to share that the preliminary clinical study results of the InPress device have been successful.
Note: No regulatory approvals or clearances have yet been issued by Regulation Agencies for the InPress device to date.
InPress Technologies has developed the necessary engineering controls to ensure consistent product quality. The InPress quality management system has earned the company this internationally recognized certification.
Winner of the Most Innovative Field-tested Prototype at the Stanford-America India Foundation Symposium on Maternal and Child Health, October 14, 2016
"Control of Postpartum Hemorrhage Using Vacuum-Induced Uterine Tamponade" in Obstetrics & Gynaecology (Green Journal), Global Health: Procedures and Instruments Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc., Vol. 128, No. 1, July 2016
"InPress Technologies: Halting Postpartum Hemorrhage" in Pharma & Medtech Business Intelligence, July 14, 2015
"A Life-Saving Startup" in Cal Poly Business Magazine, July 7, 2015
"InPress Technologies initial study supports device’s treatment for PPH" in Medical Device Daily, April 24, 2015
"SLO-based company develops device to save hemorrhaging mothers' lives" in The Tribune, San Luis Obispo, January 5, 2015