According to Song, patients dealing with vision-related issues spend hundreds, and sometimes thousands of dollars on wasted medication a year.
“I first found out about the problem of oversized eye drops from a ProPublica article that was featured on MPR, and the title of it was ‘Drug Companies make eye drops too big and you pay for the waste,” she said.
To help, Song and four colleagues made an eye drop adapter called the Nanodropper. The adapter fits on a regular eye drop bottle and when used, reduces the amount of solution that comes out. Song said by reducing excess medication from dripping down your face, patients get more use out of their medication saving some up to $2,000 a year.
The company made local headlines after receiving a $28,000 grant from the Minnesota Department of Employment in June. That funding allowed the start up to launch its product, and even add several employees to the team.
Despite the global pandemic, Song said Nanodropper has filled hundreds of orders and the feedback from patients and clinics has been a great reminder of the useful product they created.
Without a Nanodropper, regular eye drops are about 30 to 70(uL) microliters. According to Song, the eye can only hold about seven to 10(uL). She explained that the excess tear drop medication that is known to run down a person’s face is not due to missing the eye, but simply because the eye cannot hold the amount being released.
Recently, the company gained attention from the United States Air Force, which Song said speaks a lot to the overall goal.
“We’re just so honored that we get to work with the air force and serve active military personnel,” said Song.
Nanodropper was awarded the Small Business Innovation Research grant, and the partnership will allow active-duty members access to the Nanodropper. Song said the funding shows the Air Force’s support of small businesses pushing for new and innovative ideas.
It’s only been a few months since the product launched, but Song said through all of the support, she sees Nanodropper reaching the hands of all of those who need it most, saving them money and medication.
