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Five teams of scientists in the University of California system are using grants of as much as $100,000 to develop their innovative mobile health ideas into effective methods for managing chronic diseases and preventive healthcare.
The teams were chosen from 64 applicants to commercialize their proposals. The grant program is led by the von Liebig Entrepreneurism Center at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering, part of the center’s Southern California Healthcare Technology Acceleration Program, and is sponsored by the California HealthCare Foundation, Booz Allen Hamilton and the Pioneer Portfolio of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. MBA students from the UC San Diego Rady School of Management will provide support in the form of market research and competitive analysis.
The winners are:
Steve Jang, PhD, and Yuanyuan Zhou, PhD, and the University of California, San Diego Departments of Radiation Oncology and Computer Science and Engineering, who are designing a web-based cancer radiotherapy treatment planning program that allows chemotherapy patients to coordinate radiotherapy treatment schedules with their healthcare providers. The system combines graphics processing unit (GPU) technology, often used in video games, and cloud computing and enables hospitals and physicians to ditch their own in-house treatment planning systems in favor of a treatment plan that could be accessed through a small mobile device.
Aydogan Ozcan, PhD, and the UCLA Departments of Electrical Engineering and Bioengineering, who are developing a lens-free, on-chip imaging modality, called LUCAS, that can convert a cell phone into a microscope and diagnostic tool, for use in rural and inner city locations. The first application being developed is the Complete Blood Count (CBC), which would alert doctors to a wide range of disorders, including anemia, infection and poor nutrition, and aid providers in making real-time diagnoses and prescribing necessary medications.
Chi On Chui, PhD, and the UCLA Department of Electrical Engineering, who are developing low-cost semiconductor test strips for rapid, point-of-care diagnosis of acute diseases in critical settings such as emergency rooms, intensive care, ambulances and offices or clinics. The nanoengineered sensor technology is reportedly 10 times more sensitive than current nanoelectronic sensors and, when packaged with a hand-held reader interfaced with a disposable test strip, would enable providers to make a quick diagnosis and treat cardiac injury.
Michael Miyamoto, MD, of the University of California, Irvine, and Mission Hospital, who are developing an integrated heart failure disease management platform that combines clinical monitoring with a user-friendly device that would allow doctors to receive regular, wireless updates on their patients.
Michael Leon, PhD, and the University of California, Irvine Department of Neurology & Behavior, who are developing a mobile “mandometer” for at-home weight normalization. The device consists of a small scale that sits under a dinner plate and sends information about the user’s eating behavior to a small monitor, which in turn shows the eating behavior of a normal-weight person for comparison. The device would be used to help overweight and obese patients moderate their food intake by providing real-time feedback about eating behavior during and between meals. The group is also working on developing a portable device that would communicate wirelessly with smartphones.
Each project’s success will be determined by its ability to secure follow-up funding after the initial grant period.
"This program is an effective way to inspire our scientists and engineers in our great universities to focus on developing solutions to real world problems. That, in turn will lead to the creation of great products and companies that will set the foundation for job creation,” said Rosibel Ochoa, executive director of the von Liebig Entrepreneurism Center at UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering, in a Sept. 7 press release announcing the grant winners. “We are excited to provide technology acceleration programs that meet the needs of our partners, students and society.”
“The California HealthCare Foundation is eager to spark innovations that can reduce the costs of healthcare and expand access to services for the underserved,” added Veenu Aulakh, a senior program officer at the Oakland-based foundation. “Sometimes great concepts need nurturing at the early stages, allowing them to prove their effectiveness and garner sustained support.”
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