Three Lakes Foundation and MATTER to hold an Innovation Challenge for Pulmonary Fibrosis

CHICAGO, Aug. 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Two Chicago-based organizations are inviting entrepreneurs and innovators to participate in an Innovation Challenge designed to uncover new solutions for pulmonary fibrosis (PF), a group of lung diseases that affect about 200,000 people in the US.  The PF Innovation Challenge begins with a virtual information session about the opportunities for improving diagnosis and care on August 18 at 9 am CT.

Three Lakes Foundation, a nonprofit organization, and MATTER a healthcare incubator, joined forces to launch the PF Innovation Challenge, where more than $100,000 has been set aside for those who deliver the winning solutions.

"Over the last six months, respiratory health has moved to the front and center of conversations across the globe," said Dana Ball, executive director of Three Lakes Foundation. "COVID-19 has increased the immense challenges impacting the PF community — and it's more important than ever to advance new solutions for PF."

Three Lakes Foundation (TLF) is dedicated to uniting researchers, industries, and philanthropy in pulmonary fibrosis to improve time to diagnosis and accelerate new therapies. MATTER is an incubation hub that includes more than 200 cutting-edge startups from around the world, working together with dozens of hospitals and health systems, universities and industry-leading companies.

PF causes progressive scarring of lung tissue and can affect quality of life significantly. There are more than 200 types of PF and approximately 50,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. PF symptoms often mimic other, more common diseases, which makes it very difficult to diagnose.

The virtual Information Session is free. Attendees will hear personal perspectives from patients, a caregiver, and physicians on how PF has impacted their lives. Those interested in participating in the PF Innovation Challenge are encouraged to submit solutions that address one or all of the following focus areas:

• Awareness. Solutions, engagement tools and technologies that help patients, caregivers and providers better understand and engage with their disease and improved inter-disciplinary communications
• Time to Diagnosis. Data-enabled digital, medical or imaging tools that improve screening, detection and the accuracy of PF diagnosis; data analysis tools
• Care. 1) Novel interventions and tools that enable both patients and caregivers to preserve patient health and quality of life; 2) Care coordination solutions between insurance, various providers, caregivers; 3) New tools, technologies and solutions that will improve oxygen therapy

To attend the virtual Information Session, register at: https://bit.ly/2PLX1LL

CONTACT:
Marita Gomez
630.936.9105

SOURCE MATTER; Three Lakes Foundation