Sometimes in the course of everyday work in the medical arena, a game-changing opportunity presents itself. Such was the case when Doug Carnes and Ryan Fiorini came to us to assist their team in bringing blinktbi to market. Applying science and technology in a new way through capturing and measuring the blink reflex, their new technology could provide objective data in under one minute. We knew how a fast, easy, and reliable way of assessing the blink reflex could impact lives forever, and we wanted to help in any way we could.

BOLTGROUP immediately immersed ourselves into their complex technology to understand how the detection and assessment needed to work. We learned the company’s business goals, and understood their culture and drive to keep athletes, soldiers, construction workers, and many others safer. An integrated product and brand strategy began to emerge that would guide product development, brand development, and go-to-market strategy for the product.

As our product design team worked on miniaturization, ergonomics, and engineering for manufacturing, our brand team worked in concert to develop UI protocols and iconography, while unpacking the brand to establish their purpose, pillars, positioning, and personality, and then unpack the digital strategy for web, tradeshow presence, and collateral.

The EyeStat^® blink reflexometer delivers 5 light puffs of air, directed near the eyelashes, to trigger the blink reflex in a 20 second test. The system employs the use of high-speed videography to record the blink reflex, track the eyelids, and measure a number of variables using a proprietary algorithm. This process provides fast, objective data to help medical personnel with clinical assessment and decision making. Because the blink reflex is involuntary, it cannot be manipulated by the subject, and conducting the test and receiving the results take under one minute total.

• Reduced 100-pound device sitting on top of a rolling cart to a 4.5-pound portable
• Honored as a 2021 Best Tech Startups in Charleston
• Received FDA clearance for the EyeStat device in December 2019
• Won 2020 InnoVision Technology Development Award
• During COVID-19 pandemic, pivoted to focus on the diagnosis of neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, ALS, and Parkinson’s Disease

• Translated complex medical technology into a user-friendly, portable device that delivers results in under a minute.
• Unified industrial-design, branding, UI/UX, and manufacturing to support rapid market entry and global deployment.
• Aligned purpose-driven design with high-stakes applications—helping athletes, soldiers, and workers stay safer.
• Modular product architecture and scalable brand infrastructure prepared the platform for future clinical use and growth.