2010 Resource List

Kellogg Venture Community

Excelerate

The Incubator

Sample Abstract:

Summary:
We have developed the first ever prosthesis rotation control system to preserve proprioceptive feedback – the perception of the position and orientation of one’s limb in space unaided by the visual system.  Our novel system will improve prosthesis functionality, provide proprioception and enable intuitive rotation control, which are needed for countless activities of daily living.

Market:
A major challenge in prosthetics today is in developing novel, intuitive control sources for prostheses.  Although technological advances have provided more sophisticated, multifunctional prostheses, current modes of control can be cumbersome and unintuitive.  Furthermore, controlling complex prostheses without proprioceptive feedback forces amputees to rely on visual input, placing an immense cognitive burden on the user, resulting in mental fatigue and operational errors.  Currently, there are no prosthesis systems that provide proprioception to the user.  Thus, development of novel, intuitive controllers is imperative to bridging the gap between cutting-edge prostheses and the human body.  Our system has been developed for transradial (below-elbow) and transhumeral (above-elbow) amputees of which there are an estimated 33,000 patients in the U.S., a number expected to increase to 80,000 by 2050.

Product:
Our company proposes to advance a highly innovative solution for controlling limb rotation in people with amputations.  We call this novel control system an \'osseo-magnetic link\'.  With this technique, a simple orthopedic screw with a magnetic core is placed into the residual bone, such as the radius bone of a transradial amputee.  The magnet creates a constant and predictable magnetic field and rotates with the residual bone within the residual limb. As a result, the distribution of the magnetic field changes with respect to the surface of the residual limb. The magnetic field can be detected with an array of magnetic sensors built into the socket of the prosthesis and used to determine the angle of rotation. By coupling the physiological rotation of the residual bone with prosthetic joint rotation (such as wrist rotation or humeral rotation), the natural functionality remains intact.  The key point of this system is that it preserves the proprioception of the wrist rotation at the elbow; eliminating the need for visual attention.  Thus, for this important joint motion we can preserve proprioception and provide direct and independent control, thereby reducing the cognitive burden of using a multifunctional prosthesis.  Currently, the system has been prototyped for transradial and transhumeral applications.  Intellectual property has been protected through provisional patents as we are currently working with lawyers to file all applicable utility patents.  We are in negotiations with Kinea Design LLC to assist in the development of a 2nd generation, production-ready prototype with a time-to-completion of 2 years.

Marketing:
The rotation control system can be used in conjunction with currently available prosthetic devices.  We will market our system to established prosthetics manufacturers as an add-on to their pre-existing systems, thereby improving the overall functionality of the prosthesis and affording proprioceptive feedback to the user.

Finance:
Preliminary cost projections to further the development of the system are $500,000, which includes system optimization, testing and FDA approval.  To offset the required capital, we have recently applied for a Challenge Grant from the NIH.  In two years, we expect to be ready to bring the rotation control system to market, at which point we will consider an exit strategy of selling the IP to an established prosthetics manufacturer, with whom our company has a close relationship.

2008 Resources

Finance Workshop - Click here for PowerPoint presentation.

Selling Skills Workshop, Saturday, March 1, 2009 - Click here for presentation #1. Click here for presentation #2.

2007 Resources

Abstract/Elevator Pitch Workshop - Click here for PowerPoint presentation.

Marketing Workshop - Click here for PowerPoint presentation.

Finance Workshop - Click here for PowerPoint presentation.

Intellectual Property Workshop - Click here for PowerPoint presentation.

View all workshop document on Scribd.