After learning that 1 in 200 emergency room visits are for nosebleeds, Dr. Elizabeth Clayborne had an idea for a product that could help calm patients’ nerves while keeping ER wait times manageable.
Dr. Clayborne – who was in her medical residency program at the time – was trained to tape two tongue dispensers together to help pinch patients’ noses and stop the blood flow. The technique (and necessary assistance from hospital staff) didn’t seem practical for the 500,000 individuals who visit emergency rooms for bloody noses each year.
She couldn’t help but think: “How is there not a device for this?”
With ER wait times escalating throughout the country, thousands of patients could avoid traveling to their closest hospital if they knew how to fix the problem themselves. While the sight of blood can be scary, Dr. Clayborne explains that nosebleeds are typically easy to treat at home.
“Nosebleeds are a low hanging fruit,” said Dr. Clayborne. “We need better knowledge surrounding them rather than taking up health care resources.”
The idea was to create a device that could not only help doctors in a time crunch, but also be available for purchase to the general public. That’s how NasaClip was born.
From treating kids with colds to adults on blood thinners, the NasaClip provides a quick, simple solution to stop nosebleeds fast. Created with two soft sponges and a clip, the NasaClip provides constant pressure that treats common nosebleeds. The device is hands-free and mess-free and can be used in the convenience of your own home.
“I recently used it on my daughter for the first time,” said Dr. Clayborne. “She woke up with a bloody nose and there was blood everywhere. After we put the NasaClip on, I stripped the bed to get everything cleaned up—and by the time I was finished, her nosebleed had stopped. We even made it to school on time.”
While the NasaClip is currently designed for a single use, the company is launching a reusable device due to popular demand. With one-third of homes experiencing recurrent nosebleeds, the new product will be sold on Amazon and will feature removable sponges that can be replaced. Both devices are produced at Harbor Designs and Manufacturing in Baltimore.
The company is looking to accelerate sales this year while expanding its research and development into making the NasaClip an intranasal drug delivery platform. Dr. Clayborne says that the product has the potential to effectively deliver medicines, as opposed to nasal sprays that wash out. This could help patients absorb everything from Afrin, a vasoconstrictor to relieve congestion, to Narcan, an emergency aid to reverse opioid overdoses.
“We’re working on being more efficient with our manufacturing processes and meeting the demands of the new channels we’re joining,” she said. “We think our device can be modified for intranasal drug delivery and save lives.”
Since launching in 2020, Dr. Clayborne has secured several forms of financial assistance to grow the business, including government programs, crowdfunding, and fundraising. She credits the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) for being the company’s first investor and for investing in every round since.
“The State of Maryland recognizes the importance of early access to capital—TEDCO gave me that initial lift,” she said. “It’s important for entrepreneurs to utilize all types of funding… from local, state, and federal grants; to small angel funds and venture capitalists; and even crowdfunding.”
In addition to the NasaClip being sold online, it can also be found at University of Maryland and MedStar Health facilities; all ExpressCare Urgent Care centers; numerous schools throughout the state; and in Disney’s U.S. parks and cruise line. Dr. Clayborne tells us that nurses in particular love the NasaClip—while working on the front lines and seeing patients in triage, they can pop on the device quickly and decompress patients with ease.
While the health care space is the company’s top customer, the device is gaining popularity in travel scenarios and event medicine. Airlines, ski resorts, and trampoline parks could soon have the NasaClip on hand to help with acute injuries and unexpected bleeds.
Dr. Clayborne isn’t just the founder and CEO of the NasaClip business. She’s also a single mom of two, a faculty member at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and continues to work as an ER physician. Her dedication even garnered recognition from Maryland Governor Wes Moore during his State of the State address last year, praising her as an inspiration for residents across the state.
“It’s important to me to lead by example. I want women and especially women of color to succeed. We are built with the resiliency that makes us outstanding founders,” said Dr. Clayborne. “I love being a Maryland-based company and I feel so fortunate that this was able to happen. I’ll be a business that stays here and grows here.”
Learn more about the company at nasaclip.com.
Photos courtesy of Dr. Elizabeth Clayborne
