SUMMER 2021
PUBLISHERS
Sandra Watson Steven G. Zylstra
EDITOR
10 MedTech in Arizona
Don Rodriguez
EXECUTIVE EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
From audacious goal to thriving sector, Arizona is making its mark
Morgan Carr
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jill A. Brownley
EMAIL techconnect@aztechcouncil.org For queries or customer service, call 602-343-8324. TechConnect is published by the Arizona Technology Council, 2800 N. Central Ave. #1530, Phoenix, AZ 85004
Entire contents copyright 2020, Arizona Technology Council. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Products named in these page pages are trade names or trademarks of their respective companies. Publication of TechConnect is supported by the Arizona Commerce Authority.
View more of TechConnect: aztechcouncil.org/techconnect
04 Publisher’s Letter
Steven G. Zylstra discusses how MedTech came into greater focus in 2020
05 Arizona Innovation
State’s MedTech companies making the world a healthier place
07 Distinct Differences
TGen examines the impairment of cardiovascular disease versus smoking
08 Healthy Connection
Annual MedTech Conference to cover how data and AI can help improve health delivery
12 Talk of the Town
Storytelling robots designed to provide dementia relief
13 Top of Mind
Brain injury research explores sex-dependent therapeutics
14 Stepping Forward
NAU team offers relief with creation of robotic exoskeletons
16 Winner, Winner
Honors for two startups with UArizona Center for Innovation ties
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PUBLISHER’S LETTER
...................... Lessons learned—and lived
When we meet annually to establish the themes for a year’s worth of TechConnects, it’s not unusual for topics to be somewhat new to many of our readers. That’s intentional. One of our purposes is to educate. For this issue, we chose a topic that we knew everyone already was becoming most familiar—whether they wanted to or not. I’m, of course, talking about medical technology. MedTech for short. In our brainstorming session, we already were living in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic. And like many of you, we were crossing our fingers to make it through the unknown. We already have lived in a world filled with innovative developments in MedTech—from detailed blood work at an annual physical to less-invasive surgical procedures. But if you are one of those who seldom gets sick so you may rarely see a doctor, even these examples still would be unfamiliar to you. Oh, how quickly things can change. If you woke up one morning last year and just didn’t feel right, you might have been joining the thousands whose physician visits meant sitting in front of cameras to explain their symptoms. The year 2020 brought the term “telemedicine” right into our speech as our homes—already our offices—became our waiting rooms. Depending on your symptoms, your doctor may have ordered a test that was new to even him or her. You may have hopped into your car and driven yourself—Uber tapped the brakes, remember?—to a site where people wearing alien-looking suits guided you as a long swab went farther up your nose than you thought was even possible. This was the experience of taking a brand new test to check whether you had contracted COVID-19.
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Just a few months later even more of us were back in our cars and headed to parking lots at all hours. While not what we think of when considering modern medicine, these were the places that offered our best chance to ward off the coronavirus. We were taking vaccines that resulted from researchers around the world working tirelessly to quickly come up with solutions to keep us alive. This is just scratching the surface when tracing MedTech in our lives. But there are probably no better examples when considering the impact that this field has had on society. Due to our dealing with the pandemic, I believe we all learned to take care of ourselves and one another. And no doubt young minds have been shaped to pursue careers in this field filled with opportunities. We have more examples of MedTech and its value in the pages that follow. As I said, one purpose of this magazine is to educate. After well over a year of what we’ve been through together, you already know there are plenty of lessons learned. n
The year 2020 brought the term “telemedicine” right into our speech as our homes—already our offices—became our waiting rooms. This is just scratching the surface when tracing MedTech in our lives.
ARIZONA INNOVATION
..................... Arizona makes its mark in the medical technology world When it comes to medical technology, Arizona has turned into a breeding ground of innovative products and services. Some may have already been used by your families or are recent arrivals in your lives. And you don’t even need a prescription to be introduced to many of them. Here are some samples of the MedTech that can trace their roots to cities here as they help make the world a healthier place. Gilbert-based AINovoTM Biotech synthesizes and extracts insights from the world’s largest and most diverse biological datasets. By combining massive datasets with proprietary machine-learning methods and experimental iteration, the interdisciplinary team dramatically reduces the time and cost of bringing life-saving treatments to market. Next-gen biologics are designed and optimized with AI—biological data engine (AICuriusTM), protein design engine (AIGenusTM) and biologics optimization engine (AIoptimusTM)—for focus areas of infectious diseases, oncology and rapid diagnostics. To learn more, visit www.ainovobiotech.com.
Tempe-based Applied Microarrays designs, develops and manufactures point-of-care and high throughput DNA and protein microarrays. These products are used for research into the underlying molecular pathways associated with disease development and progression. They also are used for diagnosing disease at the molecular level of genes and proteins. Visit www.appliedmicroarrays.com to learn more. Tempe-based Cranial Technologies is the only company solely dedicated to treating infants with plagiocephaly, a malformation of the head marked by an oblique slant to the main axis of the skull. The DOC Band is the only product proven to correct both cranial vault (upper head) and skull base (ear and face) alignment. Unlike passive therapy devices, it applies active corrective pressure to redirect growth and reshape a baby’s head, often leading to visible improvement in the first two weeks. Learn more at www.cranialtech.com. Scottsdale-based GlobalMed powers the world’s largest, most advanced virtual health programs by designing and manufacturing integrated software and hardware telemedicine solutions that support a patient at any point in the continuum of care. Its line of telehealth stations range from carts to pace-saving wall mounted units or mobile hard-cases and backpacks while its integrated devices enable more than 60 modalities of virtual care delivery and provide data to drive clinically sound health care decisions. Visit www.globalmed.com. Scottsdale-based Life365 offers it Virtual Care platform that integrates health systems with health care solution/service providers and logistics companies to deliver a one-stop, integrated platform for engaging a growing patient population. The platform enables health professionals to remotely manage patients with a variety of disease states and offers consumer apps for self-managing their health and wellness. Visit www.life365.health. Tucson-based Intuor Technologies is developer of its FDA-cleared flagship product, CATS Tonometer PrismTM, which has the potential to greatly enhance clinical care through a reduction in errors related to intraocular eye pressure (IOP) measurements. Accurate, repeatable IOP measurements are critical for the treatment of all ocular disease processes, including glaucoma, as well as for routine screening exams by any eye care professional. To learn more, visit http://intuortec.com.
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network of providers and therapists to treat the whole person. Consumers access medical and behavioral health providers through its app, online and by phone. Visit www.memd.net.
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GlobalMed enables over 60 modalities of virtual care delivery and provides data to drive clinically sound health care decisions. Gilbert-based KNOSIS Health offers a health care platform that offers users a unique engagement experience to reduce health related costs through games, challenges and incentives. Through its app that syncs with the user’s favorite fitness device or platform, KNOSIS motivates members to live healthy lifestyles and earn user financial incentives while doing it. Visit www.knosishealth.com to learn more. Scottsdale-based MeMD is a virtual health care provider of on-demand, online care for common illnesses, injuries and behavioral health issues to consumers and businesses nationwide. The company leverages the latest technologies and a highly skilled
Phoenix-based Nocira is in clinical evaluation of an investigational migraine treatment device designed around a seemingly simple, yet potentially disruptive, new approach for migraine treatment: a few puffs of air. More specifically, the investigational Nocira therapy delivers a modulated pattern of precisely controlled, gentle puffs of air into the ear to stimulate pressure-activated sensory neurons that reset pain mechanisms in the brain for treating migraines. Visit www.nocira.com to learn more. Phoenix-based Solera Health is a personalized preventive health network that connects patients, payers and physicians with a new class of non-clinical health care providers, simply and securely. Its technology integrates a diverse ecosystem of community organizations and digital providers to manage patient identification and referrals, reimbursement and payment while supporting increased consumer engagement. Visit www.soleranetwork.com. Tucson company Souvie Biodelivery employs nanotechnology to engineer, patent and market novel drug delivery platforms to drug delivery niche markets. Its focus is developing a novel drug delivery platform technology that transports drug payload to and into the targeted cells while having almost no effect on healthy tissues. Its exosome-based platform supports drug delivery for the treatment of chronic auto-immune diseases and sepsis. To learn more, visit www.souviebiodelivery.com. n
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Nocira delivers gentle puffs of air into the ear to stimulate sensory neurons that reset pain mechanisms in the brain for treating migraines.
..................... Impairment of smoking versus cardiovascular disease depends on sex BY STEVE YOZWIAK In the largest study of the associations between smoking and cardiovascular disease on cognitive function, researchers at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), an affiliate of City of Hope, found both impair the ability to learn and memorize and that the effects of smoking are more pronounced among females while males are more impaired by cardiovascular disease. Previous attempts to quantify cognitive function among smokers and assess sex differences produced mixed results. The TGen researchers attribute this to the limited size of previous datasets. By analyzing data representing more than 70,000 individuals worldwide—generated through TGen’s online cognitive test called MindCrowd—this new study produced results that indicate definitive trends, according to a scientific paper recently published in the journal Scientific Reports. “Results suggest that smoking and cardiovascular disease impact verbal learning and memory throughout adulthood, starting as early as age 18,” says Matt Huentelman, TGen professor of neurogenomics, a MindCrowd founder and the study’s senior author. “Smoking is associated with decreased learning and memory function in women while cardiovascular is associated with decreased learning and memory function in men.” Besides Alzheimer’s disease, the most significant cause of cognitive decline is known as “vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia,” or VCID, which arises from stroke and other vascular brain injuries that cause significant changes to memory, thinking and behavior. Smoking and cardiovascular disease exacerbate VCID.
This study’s findings are important, Lewis says, since cigarette smoking is the nation’s leading cause of preventable disease and death, accounting for nearly one in five deaths, and cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of disease and death worldwide, and an important predictor of cognitive decline and VCID. Vascular diseases also are associated with increased risk of Alzheimer’s, which is the nation’s sixth leading cause of death. Because the study included a wide range of ages—from 18 to 85—it allowed researchers to assess the relationship between smoking, cardiovascular disease and verbal memory in the broadest single study age range used to date. The researchers noted that few studies have previously assessed the effects of cardiovascular disease in younger adults, and that understanding the relationship between cardiovascular disease and cognitive function in young adults may be necessary for understanding possible treatment and intervention opportunities. “This study points out some unpredicted but important differences between the sexes relating to cognitive decline,” says Dr. Brian Tiep, City of Hope director of pulmonary rehabilitation and smoking cessation. “The impact on mental acuity seems progressive over time—some more rapid than others. Living habits related to diet, exercise and smoking certainly are consequential and may differ between men and women. People undergoing cancer care may be cognitively effected by the cancer and its treatment.” “This study supports the importance of maintaining cardiovascular health and quitting smoking not only in support of their cancer care but to improve brain function,” Tiep added. n Steve Yozwiak is the senior science writer for TGen.
Matt Huentelman, TGen professor of neurogenomics
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DISTINCT DIFFERENCES
of vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia.”
“The reasons for these sex-modification effects are not entirely understood,” says Candace Lewis, a postdoctoral fellow in Huentelman’s TGen lab and the study’s lead author. “Our findings highlight the importance of considering biological sex in the study
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No doubt everyone has learned unforeseen lessons as the world begins to exit the pandemic. And that’s precisely what makes the time right for the Arizona Technology Council’s 2021 MedTech Conference.
“What we hope to hear is more about the lessons learned, receptivity to emerging health tech, and what challenges still exist to ultimately improving health care—physical and mental health—in the future,” says Ellen Owens-Karcsay, chair of the Council’s MedTech Committee, and owner and principal of Karcsay Consulting Group. In developing the program, the committee also wanted to focus on aspects that include keeping technology “human,” data and artificial intelligence, and how data can help make service delivery better. “Better equals efficient, effective and quality,” she says. Serving for the second time as key organizer of the annual event, Owens-Karcsay also has learned more about the field. Besides discovering there are more health tech startups in Arizona than she realized, bringing them together could help lead many of them to form more joint ventures and partnerships.
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“Innovators are focused on raising capital, perfecting their product or service, and leading the pack,” she says. “I understand that but I do feel like there are times where innovators need to collaborate to better leverage funding and to create a holistic approach to medtech.” Add to that the ongoing challenge of rural Arizona’s less than adequate internet service, which many health tech innovations rely on. Owens-Karcsay urges more action by the carriers. The conference won’t be just for regular members of the medical technology community. “Everyone has a personal connection to health care—if not for yourself, for an aging parent, for a child, or close friend,” she says. “How health tech is deployed and managed is a discussion everyone should be aware of.” The conference also offers a bonus: It marks the return of the Council’s trademark in-person events and the accompanying networking. After more than a year of businesses and others meeting virtually, people know “in-person helps you to focus, and be present and participate,” Owens-Karcsay says. When she lets prospective attendees know about people coming together, the responses include “Yay!” or “Finally!” n
MEDTECH PREVIEW
..................... 2 speakers offer glimpse of their conference presentations Matthew E. Likens, president and CEO of GT Medical Technologies Likens will share how one company saw an opportunity to improve the lives of patients living with brain tumors by developing a breakthrough cancer treatment specifically designed for use inside the brain. In the world of neuro-oncology, the standard of care for operable brain tumors has remained largely unchanged for the last 15 years—until now. The traditional treatment for aggressive brain tumors looks something like this: A neurosurgeon performs a resection to remove as much of the tumor as safely as possible. Following surgery, the patient recovers in the hospital for a day or two then waits several weeks to allow surgical wound healing before beginning daily external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) in the hopes of eliminating remaining tumor cells. This delay in treatment allows residual tumor cells to replicate. Today’s standard of care can be burdensome to patients and their caregivers, with patients largely relying on friends and family for transportation and other care needs. In addition to these challenges, EBRT can result in extreme fatigue, hair loss and other harsh side effects. Results of this treatment are dismal, with approximately 50% of patients experiencing tumor recurrence within a year after treatment. Likens’ presentation will show how GammaTile Therapy, an FDA-cleared surgically targeted radiation therapy (STaRT), dramatically improves patients’ quality of life. The GammaTiles, which are no bigger than the size of a postage stamp, are implanted at the time of surgery and immediately begin delivering a precise, targeted dose of radiation to eliminate residual tumor cells. Patients receive treatment in the comfort of their home while going about their daily lives. He also will showcase how this unique treatment delays tumor recurrence, reduces treatment burden for both the
patient and their caregiver, and limits radiation exposure to protect healthy brain tissue while reducing severe side effects. Khalid Al-Maskari, CEO of Health Information Management Systems (HiMS) The gap between provider and patient needs is spread far apart by dwindling provider availability, a growing patient population and rising health care costs. It was further exacerbated by COVID-19, which disrupted the traditional health care model as it forced providers and clinics to adopt new technologies to see and treat patients. The J.D. Power 2021 U.S. Commercial Member Health Plan Study reported 36% of privately insured U.S. health plan members used telehealth services, up from 9% in May 2020. With the help of technological advancements, including artificial intelligence and effective data analysis, there are several opportunities to close the gap and drive transformation in behavioral health practices. Al-Maskari will present on the opportunities for an interoperable electronic health records (EHR) system to shift health care operations and the industry as a whole from a fee-for-service model to a value-based care model. During his presentation, attendees will gain a better understanding for how machine-learning and AI tools can: • Prioritize work and speed up administrative tasks, such as claims inquiries and payment reconciliation. • Acquire skills in organizing patient data to identify health trends and help provide streamlined courses of treatment. • Increase facilities’ flexibility to quickly respond to the industry’s constantly changing needs. • Support providers and improve patient care. Al-Maskari will also share a real-world example of how one health provider in Southern Arizona was able to ramp up its telemedicine services during the pandemic and ensure payment for virtual claims in just 48 hours via Axiom, HiMS’s EHR system. n
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medtech in arizona
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From audacious goal to thriving sector It’s amazing what happens when you set a goal. At the turn of the century, Arizona was still largely about the 5 Cs. Bioscience? That starts with a B. So, it was an audacious move when the Flinn Foundation unveiled its Bioscience Roadmap in 2002, setting a goal for Arizona to become globally competitive and a national leader in bioscience by 2025. The result? Arizona bioscience jobs grew by 8.3% from 2016 to 2018, outpacing overall state job growth. Those jobs paid an average of $69,412 in 2018—33% more than the state average. Non-hospital positions within the industry averaged an impressive $85,518. By 2020, the state was among the national leaders in job growth in five medical technology categories: • No. 1 – bioscience and health care manufacturing job growth rate • No. 1 – medical equipment, pharmaceuticals and chemicals manufacturing job growth rate • No. 2 – bioscience and health care industry job growth • Top 5 – pharmaceutical manufacturing job growth • Top 5 – manufacturing of medical equipment and supplies “We are creating the jobs of tomorrow, today,” says Anthony Bajoras, a principal in MedTech Ventures and founder of the Cancer Fund, as well as an advisor for the Arizona Commerce Authority’s Innovation Challenge and an “Entrepreneur in Residence” for the Venture Ready program. When new companies start up and grow to scale, “that’s where the job creation occurs.”
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Arizona is home to big-name bioscience organizations such as Flinn; W.L. Gore; Accelerate Diagnostics; TGen; Ventana Medical Systems, a division of Roche; and Medtronic, which Bajoras says is doing work potentially as groundbreaking in bioscience as Xerox PARC’s research in the 1970s that made personal computers and smart phones possible. And many health care institutions are pioneering the future of life sciences in treatment and research, such as Mayo Clinic, Banner Health, HonorHealth, Phoenix Children’s Hospital and Barrow Neurological Institute. If that isn’t enough, the state’s universities are making breathtaking advancements and shaping the future of the industry. For example, Arizona State University developed a first-in-the-nation, FDA-approved, COVID-19 saliva-based test, and The University of Arizona developed one of the most accurate antibody tests in the nation. Together, along with Northern Arizona University, they received $585 million in bioscience research and development funding in 2019. And many small companies you may not have heard of also are working on life-changing discoveries. “Numerous stealth startups are certainly bright spots,” says Bajoras. A number of factors have contributed to the rapid growth of MedTech in Arizona, including the state’s pro-business environment, which makes it a desirable location to revolutionize the health care industry. According to Richard Austin, CEO of Reglagene, other factors include:
• Groundbreaking research • Talent • Startup funding • A strong ecosystem • Excellent statewide support Austin says UArizona and ASU are developing new inventions that have commercial potential with regularity and are cranking out STEM talent. In addition, startup funding with Arizona Tech Investors and the Desert Angels, a strong ecosystem with existing lab capabilities, and statewide support provide an ideal environment for MedTech companies to thrive. “You have a very supportive community here,” Austin says. “The government supports entrepreneurs. You have nonprofit support from the Flinn Foundation and others.” In fact, Reglagene’s first funding came from Flinn. “We’d been a company for all of two days. They believed in us as people. That’s the supportive environment we have.” Innovation used to be driven by a handful of decision-makers. But today, a large cross-section of big and small companies, nonprofits, patient advocates and governments are leading a revolutionary change. “It’s a trail that is being blazed in Arizona because it requires a level of collaboration across the federal, state, county and municipal levels, not just from government agencies but in collaboration with the people in the community,” Bajoras says. “Collaboration at that scale is exceptionally rare.”
Here, “if you’re active at all, it’s hard not to develop relationships,” Bajoras says. “This creates those sorts of conversations where you can easily throw out ideas between people from different groups—and they’re receptive to it.” The Arizona Commerce Authority, Maricopa County Industrial Development Authority, City of Phoenix and others actively support and invest in MedTech. “A lot of folks in positions like those are accustomed to not taking risks,” Bajoras says. “It says a lot about those individuals and organizations that they’re willing to do that. It’s pioneering.” The ACA’s Arizona Innovation Challenge is another asset, one which Austin credits for Reglagene’s success. Most companies in the challenge have a product ready to sell. Not Reglagene, a fall 2019 awardee of the competition. “We’ll be pre-revenue for a while. They went out on a limb for us,” he says. The company became better because of the experience, especially in marketing the complex science behind the discovery. And there’s one more reason MedTech is booming in Arizona: quality of life, including a low cost of living, beautiful weather, and spectacular mountains, deserts and blue skies. “Most of the country’s MedTech professionals want to work and live here,” Bajoras says. “Nearly 80% of the applications we receive for roles at our portfolio companies are from out-of-state applicants looking to move to Arizona.” n
Arizona has an advantage over places where relationships may be entrenched over generations.
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Talk of the town
..................... Storytelling robots designed to provide dementia relief
the most common form of dementia, and 83% of informal care is supplied by family, friends or other unpaid caregivers. In addition to substantial informal care, formal care is estimated to cost $305 billion annually. By 2050, the number of Americans with Alzheimer’s disease is expected to reach 13.8 million, costing an estimated $1.1 trillion in formal care and placing increasing demand on caregivers who provide informal care for people living with the disease.
BY SONA SRINARAYANA As robotics technology advances, robots will help with a variety of tasks, even supporting people to navigate the challenges of aging. A project led by Troy McDaniel, assistant professor of engineering at The Polytechnic School, one of the six schools in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University, and Lauren Keeler, assistant professor in the ASU School for the Future of Innovation in Society, aims to develop robots to assist older adults with dementia and their caregivers. The work is supported by the Zimin Foundation as one of four proposals selected for funding within the Zimin Institute for Smart and Sustainable Cities at ASU. This partnership aids research projects that facilitate the integration of smart-city technology, specifically concerning infrastructure, transportation, resource efficiency, health, security and more. “After seeing the effects of dementia on the person and their caregiver firsthand, I was inspired to develop technology to assist both people,” says computer science doctoral student Jordan Miller, who will lead the project under McDaniel. “The intention is not to replace human interaction but to create an opportunity that allows the caregiver to address their own health.” According to the Alzheimer’s Association, an estimated 5.8 million Americans live with Alzheimer’s disease,
Conversation and narrative have been shown to help people living with cognitive impairment. McDaniel and his team of researchers began exploring storytelling robots as a method of conversational herapy. The Alzheimer’s Association recommends that patients engage in storytelling activities as a way to combat feelings of depression, isolation and aggression. C-Care Health Services reports that people living with dementia who engage in storytelling have an improved quality of life. Storytelling can promote a sense of accomplishment, raise self-esteem, improve creative and verbal skills, improve social interaction, provide therapeutic communication opportunities, and ease the pressure to remember. “Our goal is to contribute to the future of in-home caregiving by developing a solution to assist people living with dementia and their caregivers who may not be able to afford an assisted living facility and either live with or require live-in caregiving support,” McDaniel says. In this scenario, it’s recommended the caregiver allow the person with dementia to tell the story as they would like and as frequently as they’d like, though this can be difficult for the caregiver to observe. “If the caregiver expresses frustration, it causes confusion and distress with the person living with dementia. The presence of the robot takes this challenge away,” Miller says. The robot will also include a profile that leads the caregiver through meditation and breathing exercises. In addition, the robot would provide patient safety features like an alert for night wandering, offering peace of mind for the caregiver.
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Doctoral student Jordan Miller pictured next to Misty, a robot specializing in conversational therapy.
“I also see this technology being deployed in hospital settings to converse with patients who stay overnight,” Miller says. “I envision a future where, in addition to assisting seniors suffering from isolation and depression, this technology can assist entire families battling dementia no matter where they reside.” n Sona Srinarayana is a communications specialist with the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at ASU.
toP OF MIND
..................... Brain injury research explores sex-dependent therapeutics BY MONIQUE CLEMENT Nearly 2 million people experience a traumatic brain injury in the United States every year. Just as each person is different, their injuries present in different ways. This means people who suffer traumatic brain injuries may not receive effective treatments that heal the core injury to the brain. But one factor—how the injuries differently affect females and males—brings unique challenges and opportunities for future treatments. Sarah Stabenfeldt, associate professor of biomedical engineering at ASU’s Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, and Rachael Sirianni, associate professor in the Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, are leading the exploration of sex-targeted drug delivery for traumatic brain injury. The five-year, $2.5-million project funded by the National Institutes of Health will improve the understandings of sex differences in traumatic brain injury to help design nanoparticle delivery systems for more effective treatments. Depending on the severity of a brain injury, many different outcomes can occur. Symptoms range from bleeding to inflammation and other disruptions to normal functions, and they can change over the hours and days following the initial injury. Our brains also appear to display sex-dependent biological differences relevant to injury and treatment. “When you look into the clinical literature, it has been shown that males and females do report differential symptoms, and females report more prolonged symptoms after a head injury,” Stabenfeldt says. A key sex-dependent discovery about traumatic brain injuries is the disruption of the blood-brain barrier. In the body, blood vessels allow many substances to transfer between vessels and cells. In the brain, however, this transfer is much more restrictive to protect neuron cells. After a traumatic injury, the brain’s carefully controlled system falls apart.
This disruption also presents differently in females than in males. One of the many factors that could be causing this difference is varying levels and cycles of hormones such as estrogen, progesterone and testosterone in females compared to males. While these levels already differ in healthy people, brain injuries also cause additional hormone disruption for both sexes. The complexity is daunting but it’s also why Stabenfeldt says she is really excited about this research and its potential to improve traumatic brain injury outcomes. Such an opportunity led her and Sirianni to propose a grant to the NIH. Their team is the first to look at injury-impaired hormone systems when assessing their role in treatment. “If we discover that this differential blood-brain barrier disruption is a function of sex hormones, it gives us a clue about whether those hormonal processes should be targeted,” Sirianni says. “The information from this work could tell us whether that’s important in designing therapies in the future.” Stabenfeldt and Sirianni are assessing a strategy in which they exploit the disruption of the blood-brain barrier to have their nanoparticle-based treatment accumulate in the injured region of the brain for a longer, sustained local delivery. Nanoparticle delivery mechanisms also allow drugs that are unsafe when given systemically to be reevaluated for effective use in targeted treatment. Nanoparticle-based therapeutic delivery systems also show strong sex-dependent differences, so the team will explore how to most effectively use them in female and male injury microenvironments. This work is also a key step into more inclusive research that involves females as well as males, who until recently have been the scientific standard. When preparing for the NIH grant, Sirianni says she found very little existing research that explored nanoparticle interaction in female versus male biological systems. “I’m excited to be contributing to some of that knowledge,” Sirianni says. “We really want to impact both the basic understanding of why there is differential pathology and also achieve a therapeutic, translational goal of identifying sex-specific therapies. If we can identify ways that nanotechnology could target male versus female pathology, that would be truly transformative.” n Monique Clement is a communications specialist with the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at ASU.
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STEPPING FORWARD
..................... Team offers relief with creation of robotic exoskeletons BY KERRY LYNN BENNETT Many faculty researchers at Northern Arizona University invent new technologies that are granted patents. In fiscal year 2020 alone, NAU inventors were issued 19 patents, filed 41 new patent applications and submitted 43 new invention disclosures. Because of the effort and investment involved, however, not many researchers have the resources needed to commercialize their inventions, much less launch startup companies to take their technologies to the marketplace. But NAU assistant professor and alum Zach Lerner has successfully done both—all within just a few years of beginning his career. In 2020, Lerner launched what is quickly becoming the university’s most successful commercial spin-off based on his bioengineering research and the patent-pending technologies he invented as a result. After earning a bachelor’s degree in engineering at NAU and a Ph.D. in bioengineering at Colorado State University, Lerner spent a year as a postdoctoral fellow at the Clinical Research Center of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Maryland. He joined NAU’s Department of Mechanical Engineering in 2017, and in 2018 accepted a joint research appointment in the Department of Orthopedics at The University of Arizona College of Medicine. Disease and injuries to the neuromuscular system often lead to impaired walking ability. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 13.7% of adults have a disability that limits their mobility, causing serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs. Moreover, nearly four in 1,000 children are afflicted with cerebral palsy (CP), making it the most common cause of pediatric physical disability in the U.S. This neurological disorder affects a child’s muscle control and coordination and often makes walking extremely difficult. Many children with CP, especially in rural communities, lack access to the basic treatment needed to prevent this ambulatory decline, which worsens as they grow older. Most existing treatment strategies have proven insufficient.
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One of the most promising potential new treatment options for both children and adults is the use of battery-powered wearable robots, or exoskeletons, that provide home-based gait training and mobility assistance and could significantly decrease patients’ lifelong suffering and the resulting economic burdens placed on their families. These devices have the potential to revolutionize rehabilitation of patients with neuromuscular deficiencies. In his Biomechatronics Lab on NAU’s Flagstaff campus, Lerner works with a team that includes both graduate and undergraduate students to restore neuromuscular function and augment human ability through the design, control and testing of robotic exoskeletons. “The overarching goal of our research is to improve the ability of patients with gait disorders to walk independently and accumulate adequate levels of daily physical activity,” Lerner says. “To meet this goal, we’re evaluating the benefits of powered lower-extremity assistance on rehabilitation and mobility-related outcomes. Our research shows that walking with powered knee and ankle assistance helps retrain the neuromuscular system to achieve a more efficient gait pattern, and that battery-powered exoskeleton assistance can improve walking performance in real-world settings.”
Technology and Research Innovation Fund investments help spur research Lerner’s pioneering research—funded through a succession of grants totaling more than $1.5 million from the NIH, the National Science Foundation and the Arizona Department of Health Services—has focused on developing wearable exoskeleton devices to help patients improve their mobility and walking performance. His research findings have demonstrated an improvement in walking function similar to outcomes from invasive surgery. Lerner’s research represents a successful investment from Arizona’s Technology and Research Innovation Fund (TRIF). Because of the funding he received through TRIF, Lerner was better equipped to apply for and win these major grants. For the wearable robot to be effective, however, it needs to adapt to the individual. So, Lerner and his team created an adaptive assistance exoskeleton control algorithm to establish and track personalized measures of exoskeleton-assisted walking performance then programmed a hierarchical control strategy onto the memory of the CPU mounted onboard the robotic exoskeleton device. The control strategy uses sensors
embedded on the exoskeleton to track posture and other data points, evaluate how these parameters change over time and adjust the level of assistance accordingly.
NAU Innovations team protects intellectual property with provisional patent applications As he began developing this array of innovative new technologies, Lerner worked with associate vice president Will Aylor and senior technology transfer analyst Cristy Salanga in NAU Innovations, the university’s tech development and commercialization program, to submit patent applications to protect the intellectual property for his inventions. NAU Innovations helps transfer inventions developed through research conducted at the university to the private sector. The team partners with top science and technology companies to license patent rights for commercial development and sale. As early as summer 2017, Salanga recalled, she met with Lerner to look at the first three initial invention disclosures covering his main system, unique software and algorithms he was using in his work: the Powered Ankle Assistance Exoskeleton, the Exoskeleton Biofeedback User Interface and the Adaptive Assistance Exoskeleton Control Algorithm. As Lerner made improvements to his inventions, the NAU Innovations team submitted nine new patent applications on his technologies, which are all currently patent pending. Lerner began exploring ways to take his inventions to the marketplace so they could help improve lives. He
t
Zach Lerner (right) leads trials of wearable exoskeleton devices.
pulled together a team and co-founded BiOMOTUM with Ray Browning, whom Lerner met in 2011 while a student in Browning’s program at Colorado State. “Zach worked in our lab,” says Browning, “and he was far and away our most productive student.” “Commercializing this technology is a great way to have an impact on the world, beyond publishing academic papers,” Lerner says. “It’s a tremendous amount of work to start a company, and I’m thrilled to have Ray take on this leadership role.” Lerner is BiOMOTUM’s chief scientific officer, focusing on the research, and Browning is the CEO focusing on the company’s business development and day-to-day operations. The company’s first prototype product, internally named the RA2D, is a robotic ankle assist device. Lightweight and wearable, the powered device provides on-demand gait training—and is designed to grow with the child into adulthood, an innovative aspect that meets a specific market need for pediatric mobility aids for young individuals. As the prototype evolves, Lerner and Browning have also focused on raising money to fund their work. To date, BiOMOTUM has raised over $2 million in capital in under a year through a combination of private equity funding and federal grant money through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. n Kerry Lynn Bennett is manager of research communications at Northern Arizona University.
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WINNER, WINNER
making dog breath smell better longer. While most products on the market today provide minutes of fresh breath in dogs, uPetsia’s product is incorporated into dog treats and provides hours of minty fresh breath.
Honors for two startups with Center for Innovation ties
The underlying technology was developed by founders Eric Lyons, David Baltrus and Scott Zentack at The University of Arizona College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and BIO5 Institute.
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SGNT, a University of Arizona Center for Innovation (UACI) startup, has received a $749,000 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant through the National Science Foundation (NSF). SGNT (pronounced sig-net) is dedicated to reducing the financial loss caused by counterfeiting and tampering by integrating their innovative technology into container security products and packaging. The company was founded by CEO Emil Tremblay and Chief Operational Officer Tommy Rompel. SGNT’s invention is fundamental to ensuring the authenticity of products. For example, this technology eliminates the uncertainty that comes with shipping medication. Through the transit process, people can potentially steal medication and replace it with fake substances. SGNT’s technology tracks packages and checks to ensure the original content sent is within the package. “The SGNT team is in awe of the support from so many organizations and individuals: UACI, Tucson’s business community and the NSF,” Tremblay says. “We’re trying to solve a trillion-dollar product counterfeiting problem and we can’t do that alone.” Having completed Phase I of the SBIR process, SGNT applied for Phase II and won. SBIR/Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) is an approximately $180 million program that catalyzes the commercialization of transformational technological innovations via R&D grants to small businesses and startups. UACI is a startup incubator network with outposts across Southern Arizona and a mission to grow scalable science and technology startup ventures that fuel the Arizona economy. For nearly two decades, the program has directly served more than 140 companies and impacted thousands of entrepreneurs. In a separate competition, uPetsia was named the winning startup for the UACI-sponsored launch fueled by an Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce contest. Early-stage Arizona-based biotechnology company uPetsia (rhymes with “you betcha”) is focused on
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uPetsia received a sponsored year of admission at UACI, which includes venture development programming and space. Access to UACI provides the startup with a structured incubation program, customized business support and the ability to work alongside other startups in a fast-paced environment. UACI provides access to the people, programming and places needed to scale a business. Other tools the incubation program provides are office and lab space, and assistance through a 27-point roadmap that helps them with everything from refining their business model to obtaining funding. uPetsia will be immersed in the UACI incubation program through April 2022 and have an office with lab space at the newest outpost of UACI at Oro Valley, thanks to a contribution from the Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber also will provide the winning company with membership, which provides access to events, exclusive deals and connections to a network of businesses located in Oro Valley. uPetsia has worked with Tech Launch Arizona, the technology commercialization arm of UArizona. The office worked with the inventors to refine and protect the invention, and helped them identify its best customers through its NSF I-Corps customer discovery program. TLA also provided funding through its Asset Development program, which allowed the team to prototype the product and explore commercialization avenues. n
NEW MEMBERS Ainovo Biotech reduces the time and cost of bringing life-saving treatments to market by combining datasets with its proprietary machine learning methods and rapid experimental iteration. www.ainovobiotech.com Aira re-engineered the fundamentals of wireless charging to create FreePower, a no-fail wireless charging experience. Place devices across the surface and they’ll charge. It’s that simple. airapower.com AllStaff Services is your partner—from the search, the screening, the interviewing and the final selection—to ensure you have the best candidate for you team. www.allstaffaz.com Amazon strives to be Earth’s most customer-centric company where people can find and discover virtually anything they want to buy online. amazon.com Ambature creates and licenses materials that will increase the efficiency of generation, distribution and use of electricity. www.ambature.com Arizona Central Credit Union has been providing Arizona families with accessible, friendly, hometown banking. www.azcentralcu.org Aspire Business Consultants have accounting experience in both Arizona charter schools and the nonprofit sector. www.aspirebc.co AstroHire is a nationwide executive search and recruitment firm that serves companies transforming industries and the way people live. astrohire.com ATOM is a full-service product development and design firm that works to innovate and commercialize new products, technologies and markets globally. www.atom-inc.co Blush Technology Group is all about helping clients in the health care industry find their IT unicorn! www.blushtechnologies.com Boundy Consulting has grown businesses in a variety of industries as a business builder, sales leader, author, coach, consultant, teacher and chief clarity officer by focusing on customer-perceived value. www.boundyconsulting.com Duley | Bolwar | Pederson provides a strategic mix of plans and services that fit within the overall goal of your employee benefits program. www.dbpbenefits.com ED2 designs and develops 5G wireless solutions, RF electronics, sensor solutions and passive components. Its 5G technology will be the backbone of worldwide communications infrastructure. www.ed2corp.com Engineering Wireless Services is a turn-key integrator offering cellular, private LTE, Wi-Fi, RFID asset tracking, and public safety radio communication system services to the telecommunications industry. www.engineeringwireless.com EnPower is a lithium-ion battery company building cells that solve the trade-off between energy and power. The company operates a pilot plant in Phoenix and plans expansion in 2021. www.enpowerinc.com Entrepix is a provider of CMP process outsourcing and equipment services. From its ISO 9001:2008 certified foundry, the company provides production, engineering and technology. www.entrepix.com eSentire is the largest pure-play managed detection and response service provider, keeping organizations safe from constantly evolving cyber-attacks that tech alone cannot prevent. www.esentire.com
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To join the Arizona Technology Council, a member-supported group representing the interests of the state’s technology ecosystem, visit www.aztechcouncil.org. Finetech is the leading equipment manufacturer for sub-micron die bonding and advanced surface-mounted device rework. We provide an array of solutions, from R&D to industrial automated production. www.finetechusa.com Freestone Insurance Group is a specialty consulting firm focused on the service, brokerage and administration of corporate and personal insurance services. www.freestoneig.com Full Armor Protection Group’s trained professionals put more than 25 years of experience to work for your private and business security needs. www.faprotectiongroup.com Haven Technologies offers revolutionary security software that detects guns from security cameras in real-time and sends mobile notification in seconds. www.havendetect.com HSBC Bank serves more than 40 million customers across a network that covers 64 countries and territories via three global businesses: commercial banking, wealth and personal banking, and global banking and markets. www.hsbc.com IBG Fox & Fin is part of a nationally respected, award-winning leader in business sales and acquisitions of privately held middle-market companies. ibgbusiness.com Infosys Limited expertly steers clients through the many nexts of their digital journey by enabling the enterprise with an AI-powered core that helps prioritize the execution of change. www.infosys.com
Prane Holdings focuses on developing the skills and processes for growth, and specializes in developing partner ecosystems that accelerate time to market locally or globally. PSG Solutions is a professional engineering services company with a legacy in Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance technology. www.psg-solutions.com Pure Wafer has become a consolidation of synergistic segments of the semiconductor supply chain that provides clients with a comprehensive menu of product offerings. www.purewafer.com Qlik’s vision is a data-literate world, where everyone can use data and analytics to improve decision-making and solve their most challenging problems. www.qlik.com R3EWaste is an R2-certified electronic recycling company that focuses on IT asset disposition, resale and reuse, and environmentally friendly e-waste solutions. R3EWaste.com Rapid Technologies provides expert consulting, support and training services for industry-leading service management software. www.raptek.com Rocket Media is a customer-focused marketing agency that creates websites and digital strategies for companies in the home service industries. www.rocketmedia.com Savant Software provides and implements software and services to the supply chain industry. www.savantwms.com
Insperity matches you with a package of HR solutions that truly fits your business through access to better benefits, time-saving technology and the first-class service you deserve. www.insperity.com
Scientific Material Testing Laboratories, is headed by Darko Babic, who also is a principal member of Forensic Failure Engineering’s material analysis and mechanical engineering practice. smtlabsllc.com
ITX has an inspired team designing and developing websites, mobile applications, intranets, web portals and APIs while supporting its clients’ software. itx.com
Securaze US is a modern approach to securely and confidently erase data, and diagnose assets of any device anytime and anywhere. securaze.com
Lucid USA inspires the adoption of sustainable transportation by creating captivating electric vehicles, which are centered around the human experience. lucidmotors.com
Security 101 provides integrated security systems and best-in-class solutions, including access control, video surveillance, intrusion detection and visitor management. www.security101.com/phoenix
MyHouseCall is an app-based service that connects to medical providers in your area. Care is provided by using mobile devices or requesting a medical provider to come to you in person. www.myhousecall.net
SentinelOne delivers security for the endpoint, data center and cloud environments to help organizations secure their assets with speed and simplicity. www.sentinelone.com
Netscout secures and assures the performance of digital ecosystems—across any application, any cloud, any data center. www.netscout.com
Snap Tech IT has refined a comprehensive approach to managing IT environments with industry-leading security solutions. www.snaptechit.com
Obánj is a sustainable luxury jewelry company where members borrow designer jewelry—Dior, YSL, Gucci and more—for $29/month. www.obanj.com
Soulective aims to reinvent philanthropic giving through blockchain-based technology and mutually beneficial partnerships. www.soulective.io
OnboardIT uses industry-leading tools to monitor, maintain and manage IT devices. Through comprehensive device and network visibility, it is able to quickly resolve issues. www.onboardit.com
SWS Computers’ customers can expect to hear about the best hardware, the best software and the latest news in the tech industry. www.shopsws.com
Paramium Technologies manufactures custom, high-precision metal panels for satellite receiver applications. paramium.com Pima County Superintendent of Schools assist schools, youth organizations and community groups in making critical connections with the business community. schools.pima.gov
Symmetry Software simplifies the payroll process with dependable and accurate payroll APIs and tax solutions to ensure employee and employer taxes are correctly calculated. www.symmetry.com T.R. Hill Executive Coaching & Consulting’s Culture Index works with entrepreneurs, business leaders and management to scale and transform organizations using applied analytics. www.linkedin.com/in/therese-hill-orgstrategy
CHANGE AGENT
..................... Partnership ties energy innovation to boost for Arizona’s economy
The Arizona Technology Council, in partnership with The Western Way, recently released a report detailing how policymakers can incorporate energy innovation into Arizona’s plan for recovering from the economic downturn caused by the pandemic. The report, which is titled Innovation and Clean Energy Industry Recommendations for Economic Recovery: Policy Options from Arizona’s Business Community, outlines the economic benefit of energy innovation and recommendations to integrate clean energy initiatives into the recovery plan roadmap. “Arizona has proven its ability to lead the nation in developing solutions for clean and renewable energy technology to benefit our overall economy,” said Steven G. Zylstra, president and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council. “We have a critical opportunity to accelerateenergy innovation even further as we plan our economic recovery. The report we’ve developed in collaboration with The Western Way outlines how Arizona can achieve this goal and set an example for other states to follow suit.” The report recommends leveraging Arizona’s innovation sector to benefit the economic and environmental condition of the entire state. Specifically:
• Encouraging clean energy technology adoption • Investing in infrastructure and identifying opportunities for public-private partnerships • Planning for long-term integration of hydrogen into Arizona’s energy portfolio and economy • Supporting advanced manufacturing policies • Prioritizing clean energy opportunities by creating a clean energy office or designated energy innovation specialist at the Arizona Commerce Authority Clean energy continues to be a key initiative of the Council in its annual Public Policy Guide. To learn more about the Council’s efforts in clean energy, visit www.aztechcouncil.org/public-policy.
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TE Connectivity’s broad range of connectivity and sensor solutions enable advancements in transportation, industrial applications, medical technology, energy, data communications and the home. www.te.com
University of Phoenix is the largest private university in North America, offering more than 20 undergraduate and graduate degree programs online and locations nationwide. phoenix.edu
Tripwire’s diverse cybersecurity solutions on site and in the cloud find, monitor and minimize risks to your digital infrastructure—all without disrupting day-to-day operations or productivity. www.tripwire.com
USAT is developing advanced satellite communications that will outperform existing antenna technologies of parabolic antenna and phased-array antenna. usairtechcorp.com
Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is the largest Latino business organization in Arizona and one of the top 10 Hispanic Chambers in the nation. www.tucsonhispanicchamber.org University of Arizona College of Medicine offers an integrated, multidisciplinary curriculum that combines the latest advances in biomedical science with the practice of the classical art of medicine. medicine.arizona.edu
Vertica is the unified analytics platform, powering data-driven businesses with predictive insights based on advanced AI and machine learning at blazing speed and at petabyte scale. www.vertica.com VIAVI Solutions helps network operators address their network, application and service performance challenges and successfully deploy the networks of tomorrow. www.viavisolutions.com/en-us/osp
Xcelr8now is an entrepreneurial, results-focused business and technology leader that builds engaged teams, cultures, stakeholder and client partnerships through collaboration, outstanding communications and more. www.xcelr8now.com Zxerex is introducing the world’s first comprehensive impairment detection solution for the workplace. www.zxerex.com
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