A Wichita State University-based program aimed at aiding frontline workers in the fight against COVID-19 has resulted in the formation of a new Wichita startup company and a premium disposable stethoscope.

The Single Patient Stethoscope™ from Ad Astra Medical Devices, LLC, boasts a sturdy, lightweight design engineered for maximum performance in today’s demanding medical environments. Marketed as the Ad Astra MD Gen2, the stethoscope provides high acoustic quality at a budget that allows for single-patient use.

The origins of the Ad Astra MD Gen2 disposable stethoscope lie within Wichita State’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR).

Early during the pandemic, researchers at NIAR helped the medical community by participating in a PPE-making coalition alongside Airbus Americas and other aviation manufacturers. As part of these efforts, engineers from NIAR and Airbus Americas used their expertise in additive manufacturing to produce and deliver more than 2,000 disposable stethoscopes to the medical community.

Disposable stethoscopes are not new, but over the years, medical personnel have learned to expect poor acoustics and flimsy materials that are difficult to use. The coalition resulted in the development of a premium disposable stethoscope designed for real-world applications with quality just like what a medical professional would expect from their own stethoscope.

The positive feedback received from the medical community about the quality of the stethoscopes encouraged the NIAR and Airbus Americas engineers to continue focusing on the need for a premium disposable stethoscope. The engineers ultimately created a brand-new disposable stethoscope, and Wichita State’s tech transfer office filed several patent applications.

“NIAR has a history of supporting the aviation industry,” says John Tomblin, Executive Director of NIAR. “We are proud to use our unique skills and expertise to help transform other industries, including health care and medical technologies.”

Local entrepreneurs subsequently formed Ad Astra Medical Devices as a spinoff to commercialize Wichita State’s disposable stethoscope technology. Headquartered in Wichita, the founding team is passionate about the impact this technology could have in supporting community health. The Single Patient Stethoscope™ is the first of many medical devices Ad Astra MD plans to bring to market.

“The Ad Astra MD team is humbled for the opportunity to stop the spread of infectious diseases through the delivery of the Gen2,” said Dr. Michael A. Hale, Ad Astra Medical Devices’ Chief Medical Officer. “The Single Patient Stethoscope™ has the potential to stop the spread of not just COVID-19, but also tuberculosis, C. diff, and MRSA.”

To learn more about the AD Astra MD Gen 2 Single Patient Stethoscope™, visit adastramd.com.

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About Ad Astra Medical Devices, LLC

Ad Astra Medical Devices, LLC was founded to commercialize the proprietary technology that the National Institute of Aviation Research (NIAR) and Wichita State University (WSU) developed in response to requests from the medical community when supply chains became short of critical equipment. The founding team is a group of Midwesterners who believe in the motto “Ad astra per aspera” (which translates to the stars through difficulties). Through the difficult global COVID-19 pandemic, innovation was sparked. The Ad Astra MD team is using the spark to fuel their drive to reach for a better state.

About Wichita State University

Wichita State University serves as the Kansas urban-based research university, enrolling more than 20,000 students from every state in the U.S. and more than 100 countries. Wichita State and WSU Tech are recognized for being student centered and innovation driven.

Located in the largest city in the state with one of the highest concentrations in the United States of jobs involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), Wichita State University provides uniquely distinctive and innovative pathways of applied learning, applied research and career opportunities for all of our students.

The Innovation Campus, which is a physical extension of the Wichita State University main campus, is one of the nation’s largest and fastest growing research/innovation parks, encompassing over 120 acres and is home to a number of global companies and organizations.