TRUMBULL, CT--(Marketwired - Sep 18, 2014) - ZetrOZ, Inc. today announced that it has been awarded federal and state grants to develop wearable sustained acoustic medicine (sam®) ultrasound technology and clinically evaluate the effectiveness of the non-invasive self-applied treatment for management of lower back pain and back pain caused by herniated discs of the spine.
The federal $250,000 grant is from the NSBRI (National Space Biomedical Research Institute) which works with NASA under a cooperative agreement to develop and mature novel medical technologies that can benefit the health of crew members in space, as well as on people on Earth. Connecticut Innovations and the Small Business Innovation group supported $250,000 in grant funding to the space-bound project to increase innovative biotechnology jobs and manufacturing in Connecticut. The remaining $125,000 has been earmarked by ZetrOZ, Inc. for supporting the project.
"Ultrasound is a great platform for spaceflight, delivering both diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities," said Dr. Dorit Donoviel, NSBRI's Deputy Chief Scientist and Industry Forum Lead. She added, "I envision that astronauts could use sam® to accelerate the healing of musculoskeletal injuries (in the lower back and shoulders) both in space and on Earth during training. We are excited to facilitate the clinical validation study with sam® to treat lower back pain."
George K. Lewis, Jr., PhD, Company Co-Founder, Chief Scientific & Technology Officer and Principal Investigator for the grant, adds, "Our OZ Inside® highly efficient, lightweight and miniaturized ultrasound technology platform is a perfect fit for space flight and long range NASA missions since it can be powered from low voltage battery packs and easily recharged from solar cells -- this also makes it great for 'citizens of Earth.'"
"With the support of NSBRI and Connecticut Innovations, as well as our current clinical outcomes demonstrating that sustained acoustic medicine is an effective non-pharmaceutical approach for treating 'Earth-bound' pain symptoms such as knee arthritis and upper back pain, we are in a great position to develop a wearable sam® solution for lower back pain," said Dr. Lewis.
The specific aim of this study is to optimize sam® therapy frequency and treatment dose for potential future use in astronauts who experience back pain as their spines elongate up to two inches while in the microgravity environment of space. The ZetrOZ technology platform enables delivery of therapeutic ultrasound treatment to modulate pain and inflammation in tissue for up to four hours daily and could be used by astronauts in Earth and space-flight conditions.
The multi-site clinical research portion of the project will kick off in early 2015 in Connecticut, Ohio and Utah involving 100 to 200 study participants suffering from lower-back pain. The ZetrOZ research and development team is gearing up for the work by modifying the current FDA-cleared sam® product to include higher ultrasound intensity and modified therapeutic treatment regimens for targeting the herniated intravertebral discs of the spine.
"ZetrOZ continues to be on the cutting edge of wearable technology and pain therapy," said David Wurzer, Executive Vice President and Chief Investment Officer of Connecticut Innovations, "And we are gratified to be part of this latest innovative study to hopefully improve the lives of our nation's astronauts and work on development of other helpful new technologies as well."
About ZetrOZ, Inc.
ZetrOZ is revolutionizing the medical therapeutic industry with its proprietary technology including the recently introduced sam® sustained acoustic medicine www.samrecover.com and UltrOZ® www.ultroz.com, miniature wearable ultrasound devices for accelerated recovery and pain management. The innovative non-invasive therapeutic technologies have been shown to be more efficient, more portable, and more economically viable than any ultrasound systems presently available and are currently the world's smallest and strongest ultrasound therapy systems. The sam® device addresses the growing demand for non-pharmaceutical and bio-regenerative alternatives to typical pharma-based pain treatments in the approximately $62 billion U.S. pain management market. Early adopters of sam® include physical therapists, athletic trainers and athletes for improved recovery of overuse injuries such as tendonopathies and muscle strains. ZetrOZ is also known for developing the first swallowable ultrasound pill with Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is supported by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and U.S. Department of Defense. For more information, visit www.zetroz.com.
About NSBRI
Established in 1997 through a NASA competition, NSBRI is headquartered in the Texas Medical Center and is a consortium of leading biomedical institutions including Baylor College of Medicine, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Harvard Medical School, The Johns Hopkins University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Morehouse School of Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Rice University, Texas A&M University, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania Health System and University of Washington. NSBRI, a 501(c)(3) organization partnered with NASA, is studying the health risks related to long-duration spaceflight and developing the technologies and countermeasures needed for human space exploration missions. The Institute's science, technology and career development projects take place at approximately 60 institutions across the United States. For more information, please visit www.nsbri.org.
About Connecticut Innovations Inc.
Connecticut Innovations (CI) is the leading source of financing and ongoing support for Connecticut's innovative, growing companies. To maximize the growth potential of each business, CI tailors its solutions and often combines its funds with resources from other financial leaders to provide venture capital and strategic support for early-stage technology companies; flexible loans for established companies with new innovations; grants that support innovation and collaboration; and connections to its well-established network of partners and professionals. Through all these initiatives, CI has helped bring $4 billion in financing to Connecticut companies. The state's most active early-stage investor, CI has created more than 26,000 jobs. For more information on CI, please visit www.ctinnovations.com.