Cadence Biomedical, Seattle, Washington, has been awarded a Phase I Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant worth up to $254,000 from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHHD), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), for research aimed at developing a kinetic prosthesis to improve mobility for transfemoral amputees. Brian Glaister, Cadence’s CEO, is the principle investigator for this project.
Titled “An Exotendon Prosthesis to Improve Walking for Lower Limb Amputees,” this award provides funding for one year to adapt Cadence’s kinetic orthosis into a prosthesis for transfemoral amputees.
“We are honored to have received this award,” Glaister said. “Receiving NIH funding is a significant accomplishment, and we’re very thankful to be able to use these funds to expand our product offerings and help more people with disabilities walk.”
Cadence’s kinetic orthosis technology, which uses a proprietary tuned system of cams and springs to provide stability and movement assistance to weakened muscles without the use of powered mechanisms, has been able to improve mobility for people with multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries, stroke, and other conditions.
Editor’s note: Read about Cadence’s kinetic orthosis in the October 2011 issue of The O&P EDGE.
