Med tech developer Openwater is partnering with the Sharma Lab at North Carolina State University (NC State) and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-Chapel Hill) to study low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) as a noninvasive neuromodulation approach for neurological and spinal cord conditions.
Research teams will deploy Openwater's Open-LIFU device -- a portable system that delivers focused ultrasound to targeted neural circuits -- to investigate its feasibility as an alternative to deep brain stimulation and drug-based therapies for the following conditions:
- Transverse myelitis: Targeting spinal cord circuits to reduce spasticity, neuropathic pain, and mobility impairment in what the researchers say will be among the first-in-human applications of LIFU for the rare disorder.
- Essential tremor: Temporarily modulating tremor pathways in the brain and spinal cord without the tissue ablation required by existing focused ultrasound treatments.
Open-LIFU's open-source software allows researchers to customize the device for a range of applications, according to the company. The system is currently in use at institutions including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Hospital del Mar Research Institute in Barcelona, the company said.
Sharma Lab is led by Nitin Sharma, PhD, an associate professor in the Lampe Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering at NC State and UNC-Chapel Hill. The lab will explore applications including modulation of spasticity, neuropathic pain, bowel and bladder function, and walking impairment associated with transverse myelitis and modulation of essential tremor pathways.
