Dr. Kath Bogie, a Research Career Scientist and Principal Investigator at the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center’s (LSCVAMC) Advanced Platform Technology (APT) Center and Professor in the Department of Orthopaedics at Case Western Reserve University, secured a one-year, $190,000 Stage 1 VA RR&D Translational Rehabilitation Research Award (TRRA-1). The TRAA is a two-stage RR&D Cooperative Agreement Award opportunity that provides valuable funding support unavailable through existing funding mechanisms for the overall purpose of accelerating VA scientific discoveries into new treatments for neurological and musculoskeletal disorders to maximize Veterans’ functional independence, quality of life and participation in the community. This award is intended to de-risk technology to a sufficient extent such that translation to commercial availability becomes viable.

In this project entitled “Toward translation of flexSTIM: a biomimetic implanted pattern generator for effective long-term pressure injury prevention through automated weight shifting and enhanced tissue health”, Dr. Bogie and her team are focusing on the major challenge of pressure injury prevention in Veterans with spinal cord injury. They have shown that sustained use of gluteal intermittent stimulation (iGSTIM) provides effective automated weight shifting and reduces pressure injuries, however, a fully implanted system was requested by the users of this stimulation. In response to this need, Dr. Bogie, along with co-inventors Dr. Chris Zorman, Dr. Doug Shire and Dave Keicher, developed their innovative VA-patented flexSTIM biomimetic implantable pulse generator (IPG). Using the flexSTIM IPG in combination with industry-standard intramuscular electrodes can provide a fully implanted iGSTIM system for regular automated weight-shifting at the touch of a button. This stage 1 award will support effort by the study team including FDA Expert Jennifer Wall and Project Engineer Joseph Lerchbacker and working with VA RR&D Scientific Program Manager Dr. Brian Schulz to prepare for a pre-IDE meeting with the FDA to establish clear preclinical testing criteria for first-in-human testing of this exciting technology.

Congratulations to Dr. Bogie and her team!