Technology developments can improve patient care and prevent injuries

We’re excited to announce that Barrow Neurological Institute at Dignity Health St. Joseph’s Hospital in Phoenix is joining our WearTech Applied Research Center. This partnership will support Barrow Neurological Institute through clinical trials and product manufacturing of a device that uses neurological stimulation to monitor comatose patients.

Arizona State University and Creighton University researchers and healthcare professionals at Dignity Health’s Barrow Neurological Institute I, Remedy Medical Manufacturing, PADT, Veritiv and Almax-RP will combine public and private funds and resources and collaborate to accelerate the commercialization process.

The project received an award of $250,000 through Arizona Commerce Authority’s fund supporting applied research. Matching funds are provided by two research grants from the Barrow Neurological Foundation, totaling $219,944, as well as a seed grant from the Flinn Foundation that totals $100,000.

“Arizona’s extensive university resources and talent pool allows us to work closely with industry-leading manufacturers to commercialize our product,” said Brandon M. Fox, M.D., Ph.D., Neurosurgery Resident, PGY-5 and Project Lead for Dignity Health. “This funding enables Dignity Health’s Barrow Neurological Institute and our team of collaborators to develop technology that will improve the quality of care available to patients and introduce a method of testing that does not expose them to injury.”

Technology That Improves Patient Safety

The development of this new device is groundbreaking, because standard stimulation methods for monitoring comatose patients can cause injuries. Also, because standard stimulation is delivered by hand, it can limit the reliability of exams and negatively impact patient care.

Dignity Health aims to improve this practice through the development of electrical stimulator technology that can activate pain receptors in a standardized fashion without risk of injury. Barrow Neurological Institute, one of the nation’s largest centers for neurology and neurosurgery, plans to submit an FDA 510(k) application in late 2024.

"Arizona’s bioscience ecosystem is surpassing national competitors, because healthcare companies like Dignity Health’s Barrow Neurological Institute are finding new ways to provide better care for patients and better technology solutions for providers,” said Kathleen Lee, Director of Applied Research Centers for the Partnership for Economic Innovation (PEI). “Capitalizing on this momentum by powering biotech and health innovations will fuel the creation of more next-generation inventions and commercially viable technologies here in the state.”

How the WearTech Applied Research Center Drives Innovation

PEI’s WearTech Applied Research Center is supported by an award of $1.8 million from the Arizona state legislature, to go towards research and development of wearable technologies. Through a combination of private and public sector support, the center is supporting

biomedical technology projects from ideation to commercialization, to improve quality of life for Arizona residents and beyond. For more information about PEI’s Applied Research Centers Program, visit AZPEI.org/applied-research. To learn more about Barrow Neurological Institute, visit Barrownuero.org.

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