For our first profile on the second annual Cade Prize Sweet 16 semi-finalists, iG is pleased to introduce Optima Neuroscience, based in Alachua.
Founded in 2005 and based on technology developed at the University of Florida by Dr. J. Chris Sackellares, Optima’s chief medical officer, Optima Neuroscience is developing software, systems and devices for the diagnosis and treatment of numerous neurological disorders.
Optima’s initial software product, IdentEvent, helps doctors analyze Electroencephalography (EEG) data to identify when seizure activity has occurred in patients who may be suffering from epilepsy. Normally brain function is chaotic, but right before and during a seizure brain activity becomes very organized and presents a clear pattern. The Optima team developed an algorithm that quantifies this organization of the brain using EEG data, allowing for accurate seizure detection.
When diagnosing epilepsy, doctors typically take one to three days worth of EEG data, and then spend many hours analyzing and identifying seizure points. IdentEvent is used to quickly marks all points in the data where a seizure has been detected, improving the speed and accuracy with which the data can be reviewed. Optima is currently marketing the IdentEvent software to hospitals and doctors.
Through the Cade Prize, the Optima team hopes to adapt IdentEvent to a bedside monitor called the Cerescope to be placed in emergency rooms and Intensive Care Units.
“When admitted to an ER or ICU, the functioning of your heart and lungs is monitored, but nothing is done to monitor the brain,” said Amanda Burks, Optima’s director of operations. “For patients admitted for brain trauma, we want to provide an easy turn-key system that provides information to medical staff regarding potential seizure activity.”
Utilizing a grant from the National Institutes of Health, Optima has created an early prototype of the Cerescope to conduct an initial clinical trial. The Cade Prize would allow the Optima team to continue its research and development of a product they feel will help save many lives.
“Earning the Cade Prize would allow us to accelerate development of the Cerescope, while continuing to market IdentEvent,” Burks said. “As a small company it is difficult to focus on both activities, and development of the Cerescope has slowed. The Cade Prize would allow us to ramp up development and get the Cerescope monitor to market sooner.”
For more information on the Cade Prize, visit CadeMuseum.org. Keep an eye on the blog to see more profiles of the Cade Prize Sweet 16.
