While consumers have long been able to buy a variety of tests for in-home assessment of environmental contaminants, a new company, Live Pure, is seeking to simplify the effort required to perform these assessments with yogi, an all-in-one test kit. The new product is designed to deliver peace of mind to consumers concerned about their home environment, simplicity in the form of an intuitive device that makes it easy to capture samples which are sent to a lab for testing, value with a price point claimed to be 60% lower than hiring individual specialists to perform the tests, and quick results returned within ten business days.
Behind Live Pure is Greg Sancoff, a serial entrepreneur (Sancoff Precision, Block Medical, River Medical, IVAC Corporation, Onus Medical, Juliet Marine Systems) who has been involved in 71 patents granted and pending to date. In healthcare, Greg’s past experiences include development of the first hand-held ear thermometer, the first small intravenous bag pump that did not require electricity, and a needless suturing technology. Medgadget had a chance to learn more from Greg about his latest venture and its novel approach to in-home environmental assessments.
Medgadget: Greg, you’ve been a life-long entrepreneur. What was the inspiration behind starting your newest venture, Live Pure?
Greg Sancoff: The trend of consumers taking their health decisions into their own hands has been growing for the last two decades. I founded Live Pure with the goal of educating consumers about their indoor air and drinking water quality, and providing the information necessary to take action to improve their well-being. I was inspired by a vision of bringing innovative, professional tools to market that could enable consumers to assess their indoor environment and become their own health advocates.
Medgadget: Live Pure’s main product is the yogi test kit for in-home assessments. What does yogi test for?
Sancoff: The yogi is a new, do-it-yourself, all-in-one air and water quality test kit that can detect the presence of nine environmental contaminants and toxins in your home—including mold, allergens, lead, asbestos, radon, VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and formaldehyde in the air, as well as lead and copper levels in the drinking water. It is unique and exciting as it is the only product on the market that offers a comprehensive solution to indoor air quality testing. Until now, homeowners interested in assessing their indoor spaces had to patchwork together multiple off-the-shelf kits that often only test for a single contaminant, or contract the services of specialists at a steep cost. The yogi offers professional results at a do-it-yourself price, providing actionable results that can be used to improve health and well-being.
Medgadget: You described the test kit as a do-it-yourself (DIY) product. How does it work?
Sancoff: We are very proud of the simplicity and ease of use of the DIY test, eliminating endless hours of searching for and scheduling specialists to test air and water quality. The test comes with an easy-to-operate instrument, color-coded sampling system, and step-by-step instruction manual.
It takes just minutes to collect your samples (note that radon detection does involve a 48-hour sample waiting period). The samples are then sent to an independent, certified laboratory for review. Results will be emailed back to the consumer within 10 business days of the lab’s receipt of their sample box.
The labs with which Live Pure works adhere to industry standards, which means they are accredited by the following organizations: the American Industrial Hygiene Association Laboratory Accreditation Program (AIHA-LAP) for Industrial Hygiene and Microbiology; the National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (NELAB) for Potable Water; and the National Radon Safety Board for Radon.
Medgadget: How does a user actually capture a sample?
Sancoff: The yogi sampling instrument is unique since it can capture a variety of air samples with just one instrument using only the push of a button. The yogi instrument is specifically designed to sample air at very specific flow rates and durations of sampling time, depending on the contaminant or toxin. Customers simply press the button color-coded to the trap or tube for that particular contaminant. The sampling traps and tubes are then returned to our accredited laboratory that completes the analysis using industry-approved standards and methods.
Medgadget: Who is yogi targeted towards and what has been the response from customers?
Sancoff: Our flagship product, the yogi, is targeted toward consumers in order to give them a complete snapshot of their indoor air quality at home. In addition, we recently launched our latest innovation in indoor environmental testing, the yogi-go, specifically designed for commercial use. The new yogi-go features a heavy-duty, durable case and rechargeable battery pack, and tests for the same contaminants as the yogi. Field crews can use the yogi-go to quickly gather samples and obtain results from an accredited, independent lab. Customers have told us that the test is easy to use and the test results are obtained quickly while being easy to understand.
Medgadget: What happens if someone does learn that their home has an abundance of one or more contaminants? Does Live Pure help consumers take action to address environmental issues uncovered by the test?
Sancoff: If customers are sent a report indicating high contaminant levels in the home, they will receive a complimentary 15-minute consultation with Live Pure’s certified industrial hygienists. This unbiased consult equips customers with the key information needed to address these challenges, potentially mitigating contaminant levels in the home.
Medgadget: What other options do consumers have available to them to test for in-home contaminants? Why is Live Pure’s solution better?
Sancoff: Before the yogi, consumers seeking a robust indoor air quality assessment had to cobble together various off-the-shelf products that often only test for one contaminant, or hire a team of professionals, often costing thousands of dollars. For more information on what sets yogi apart from the competition, please visit our website.
Medgadget: With constantly evolving sensor technology, do you see any intersections between the growing world of connected devices and digital health and consumer-friendly, in-home environmental assessments?
Sancoff: Live Pure does have plans to develop sensor technology that would be digitally connected to a customer’s communication network for monitoring environmental contaminants such as VOCs found in many building materials today such as carpet and wood flooring. As sensor technology develops further, there will be opportunities to adapt products to offer a truly integrated environmental assessment of the indoor environments in which we spend 90 percent of our time.
Product page: yogi…
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