Engineering for Impact
From prototype to breakthrough: Hollo Medical’s mission to reinvent inhaler spacers
Dr. David Hodgson, P.Eng. and Sara Fedullo, EIT, co-founders of Hollo Medical - a start-up developing a new generation of inhaler chambers.
In the middle of a pandemic, two engineers asked a simple question: why are inhaler spacers still so cumbersome? The answer led to Hollo Medical—a start-up blending mechanical design, medical insight, and patient feedback to reinvent a decades-old device. With a flow control (FloCtrl™) valve that delivers medication consistently with each use and a form factor that fits in your pocket, Hollo is engineering a breath of fresh air. The founders behind the innovation Sara Fedullo, EIT, studied chemical and process engineering at Dalhousie University before joining a local
medical start-up focused on radiotherapy solutions. “That role gave me a window into what it takes to bring a medical device to market,” she says. “I realized this was the path I wanted to follow.” Dr. David Hodgson, P.Eng., began in mechanical engineering, worked in the automotive industry, and later joined ABK Biomedical—a Halifax success story in medical devices. “I realized how thrilling it was and the impact that you can have as an engineer,” Hodgson explains. That passion led him to study medicine at Dalhousie, where he’s now midway through his residency. It was during medical school, during COVID19, that Hollo was founded. 16
The problem: Barriers to effective treatment Through Dal Innovate’s Ready to Launch program, the founders interviewed thousands of patients and clinicians. The feedback revealed why existing inhaler spacers often fail: • Bulky design: Current devices are too large for pockets, forcing families to buy multiple units for home, school, and travel. • Embarrassment: Teenagers and adults avoid using spacers in public, leading to poor medication delivery. • Maintenance burden: Devices with seven or eight components require weekly washing by hand.