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New Tech Transfer Grant

The Utah NeuroRobotics Lab was recently awarded awarded a $100,000 grant to continue the development of our wearable haptic feedback device! This is a technology commercialization grant to help advance our prototype into a wearable wrist-worn formfactor like a smartwatch. The technology uses transcutaneous nerve stimulation at the wrist to create haptic sensations on the fingertips. This technology is unique in that it creates a sensation on your hand and fingers without obstructing your hands. This is a step forward beyond existing virtual-reality interfaces (i.e., instrumented gloves or handheld controllers) prohibit simultaneous interactions with physical and digital objects. Our technology also offers an advantage over existing AR interfaces that neglect sensory feedback altogether or require the user to remap digital sensations on the hand to physical sensations felt elsewhere on the body (e.g., a vibrating wristband).

Dr. George thanked his large interdisciplinary team who helped make this grant happen. This includes:

  • Abby Citterman and Marta Iversen who helped write the grant.
  • Marshall Trout and Chandler Welch who developed and validated the wrist-worn circuitry that will serve as a basis for our smartwatch prototype.
  • Abby Harrison and Troy Tully who helped establish and validate the VR application of this technology.
  • As well as Kaysen Hansen, Ava Folkman, and Rebecca Urban who have been pushing our scientific knowledge of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation at the wrist.

Dr. Jacob George awarded Outstanding Teaching Award from the College of Engineering

Last week, I was awarded the Outstanding Teaching Award from the College of Engineering! This is a pretty big win since I was up against faculty of all ranks, many of whom have been teaching for a lot longer than I have been.

What I’ve learned is that teaching is hard! It really takes a village to deliver a quality learning experience, especially in a new area like neurotech where there are no textbooks or standardized lab equipment. This award is really a reflection of the village that makes my courses possible. This includes:

  • Caleb Thomson, as the initial TA for my NeuroRobotics Class who did a TON of legwork to get all the labs started.
  • Fredi Mino, who took as TA and continued to improve the labs in lots of exciting ways.
  • Marshall Trout, who developed the hardware that makes the stimulation labs possible.
  • Abby Harrison and Clay Stanley, who have taken up the mantle to continue supporting the stimulation hardware.
  • Connor Olsen, who lead the development of my undergraduate Robotics class and served as an award-winning TA.
  • Marta M. Iversen, who has been an excellent teaching mentor and sounding board for countless ideas and challenges.
  • Abby Citterman and Connor Olsen, for writing letters of recommendation for my application to this award.
  • Many others who volunteer their time each semester to help grade and/or serve as an extra hands-on deck to support the labs and final projects in both classes.
  • And all of my students who have likely taken one of my classes at some point, supporting their enrollment and growth, and providing the critical feedback to improve the course. Oh, and the good course evaluations definitely help!

Thank you all for your contributions to this great achievement. It’s been a fun teaching journey, and I look forward to more exciting things to come with the new courses we’re developing next to support the new neurotech program.

-Dr. Jacob George

Clay Stanley awarded the NIH fellowship

University of Utah Electrical engineering Ph.D. student Clay Stanley received a $144,000 two-year fellowship from the National Institute of Health for individuals with a disability. These funds will support Stanley as he continues his research on non-invasive transcutaneous functional electrical stimulation.

Stanley learned about the NeuroRobotics lab from the family member of a previous inpatient of the Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH), where the NeuroRobotics lab is located.  The lab is run by assistant professor Jacob George, who mentors dozens of students on projects for neurorobotic technology. The majority of these projects focus on the advancement of rehabilitation technology for amputees, stroke, and spinal cord injury survivors.

After a traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) in 2011, Stanley credits improvements in his recovery to extensive physical and occupational therapy research programs established by the NeuroRecovery Network (NRN). In 2015, he participated in an NRN program that used an FES algorithm with positive results on SCI patient rehabilitation outcomes.

One of the senior Ph.D. students in the lab, Marshall Trout, has worked on the development of new FES technology as one of his research aims. Stanley has continued the work of one of these projects that deals with the use of a multi-electrode stimulator to activate the paretic hand of individuals with neurological impairments of the upper extremity.

Modern FES systems can activate paretic muscles, however there is difficulty in activating the muscles in a way that can help patients make functional movements. The two years of funds from the NIH can support Stanley as he pursues his research aim of improving FES therapy for rehabilitation. His goal is to improve FES devices to better assist patients in rehabilitation with more effective hardware, software, and algorithm designs.

Utah Neurorobotics Lab members win proposal grant at the RAC Grand Challenge

The Utah Neurorobotics Lab won a $100,000 grant from the Remote and Austere Conditions Grand Challenge, presented by the University of Utah’s Office of the Vice President for Research. The RAC Grand Challenge was created “as a pioneering initiative to stimulate and support innovative research focused on developing new techniques, technologies, and methods for remote and austere environments”, intending to “drive advancements and societal impact that address the unique challenges of these environments.”

Our proposal was titled “FrostByte: A Wearable Temperature Monitoring System for Frostbite Prevention and Research.” The project leverages a prototype wearable glove developed by our lab to monitor and prevent frostbite. The current device consists of a simple glove liner with a few thermocouples wired to a heating element to activate in case of extreme temperatures, but this simple device could have a big impact on clinical care. 1 in 10 people who live in cold climates get frostbite at some point in their life, and that number gets as high as 1 in 3 for those who recreate in the cold. 30% of frostbite cases result in amputation.

Under principal investigators Jacob George, PhD, and Scott McIntosh, MD, a team of MDs and PhDs were assisted by lab members Connor Olsen and Sophie Nelson. Congratulations team!

You can find more information on the RAC Grand Challenge here.

Abby Citterman receives O&P Foundation Chester Haddan Scholarship

The Orthotics and Prosthetics Foundation for Education and Research with the American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics, and Pedorthics (ABC) offer a scholarship to support individuals pursuing a clinical Master’s degree in orthotics and prosthetics (O&P). Research fellow Abby Citterman has been awarded the Chester Haddan Scholarship for 2024, which includes a $2,500 cash award.

“Abigail is a recent graduate of Northwestern University Prosthetics-Orthotics Center, an incoming NCOPE resident with Gillette Children’s, and a research fellow with the Utah NeuroRobotics Lab, developing and validating novel rehabilitative technologies for individuals with neuromuscular disabilities. She has a specialized interest in the convergence of neural engineering, O&P, and design. Abby is especially passionate about helping bridge the gap between cutting-edge innovation in academia and the most optimal, personalized patient care. She also loves exploring the outdoors, creating art, and making music. Abby is deeply honored to be recognized as the recipient of the Chester Haddan Scholarship and is inspired by his legacy of innovation, leadership, and service.”

Congratulations Abby!

Dr. Jacob George featured as expert in article discussing spinal cord stimulator

A recent article by Luisa Torres, PhD, in Drug Discovery News featured Dr. Jacob George in a discussion about the use of spinal cord stimulators in patients with lower-limb amputations. A recent Nature Biomedical Engineering study used spinal cord stimulation to restore the sense of touch, improve balance, and reduce phantom limb pain in patients with amputation below the knee. Dr. George discussed the benefits and use of such technology as an industry expert in response to this study. The full article can be read here.

Dr. Jacob George to serve on healthcare panel for AI Industry Partnership Summit

Dr. Jacob George will be serving as a member of the healthcare panel discussion at the One-Utah Responsible AI Initiative (RAI) Industry Partnership Summit on June 10th. The RAI group hopes to catalyze transdisciplinary excellence in responsible AI at the University of Utah, with the summit featuring multiple discussions on workforce, infrastructure, healthcare, and policy. You can learn more about the One-U Responsible AI Initiative here. Congrats Dr. George!