Orthocare Innovations Receives Two Research Awards from the National Institutes of Health.
February 20, 2008
Orthocare Innovations received notification today from the National Institutes of Health that it has been awarded two competitive Phase I research awards through the Small Business Innovative Research Program. Both awards were made by the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research (NCMRR), a center within the National Institute of Child and Human Development.
NCMRR awarded Phase I SBIR support to Orthocare Innovations to develop novel technology to assess the risk of falling among seniors with an aim towards reducing the prevalence, and related costs associated with injuries resulting from falls. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cites falls as the most prevalent cause of trauma-related hospital admissions, and estimates its public health impact to be $19 billion in direct costs annually.
Orthocare Innovation's research will build on prior studies that have identified a direct correlation between decline in gait performance and fall risk and willbe consistent with the American Geriatric Society's fall assessment standards of care. Kim Coleman, Orthocare Innovation's Director of Clinical Research, will serve as the Principal Investigator on this project.
The aim of the second Phase I award is to address the issue of alignment in lower limb prosthetic devices through the development of an automated, robotic prosthetic alignment system. This approach, which builds on the NIH-supported, Compas™ (Computerized Prosthetic Alignment System) technology platform, offers the potential to dramatically alter the fitting and delivery of prosthetic care. Orthocare Innovation's acquired this technology in late 2007. David Boone, CP, MPH, PhD, Orthocare Innovation's Chief Technology Officer, will serve as the Principal Investigator on this project.
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