ArhcieMD, Inc. wins Phase I DHA STTR Contract

InteliSpark client ArchieMD, Inc. has been awarded a Defense Health Agency (DHA) Phase I Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) contract worth $149,993. The grant is for the STTR project “Dynamic Virtual Moulage Base on Thin Film Adhesive Displays.”

The goal of the STTR project is to provide Army combat medics with a meaningful experience in treating injuries obtained on the battlefield during particular challenges. Moulage has great potential to aid in acquiring preparatory experience for distressing real life emergencies that medics and soldiers encounter in the field. The current approach to moulage is limited in the ability to reflect the impact of treatment decisions the trainee makes during the simulation.

This is where ArchieMD proposed to develop a dynamic moulage technology with the ability to morph to reflect changes in medical simulation scenarios. A very think and flexible electronic sticker that adheres to the skin will show a variety of dynamic information, including vital signs, disease progression and response to treatment or treatment error to provide the trainee with information about clinical progression and changes in the physiological state of the simulated patient. This could potentially lead to improvements in critical thinking, assessment and response time.

ArchieMD’s technology can be easily attached to and removed from mannequins, simulated proxy body parts, or real persons, allowing integration with existing simulation systems. It could also be commercialized to benefit EMS and other first responders undergoing training simulations.

SensoDX NIDCR SBIR Fast Track Project advances to Phase II

InteliSpark client SensoDX II LLC  awarded the Phase II portion of a National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research Fast Track Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) . The grant is for the SBIR project “Lab-on-a-Chip-Based System for Detection and Monitoring of Oral Cancer in Dental Settings.” SensoDX II focuses on creating state-of-the-art multi-parameter point-of-care diagnostic solutions that provide test information directly to patients and healthcare providers through intuitive mobile health interfaces.

Oral cavity and pharynx cancers are among the most serious cancers. There are about 400,000 incidents globally. In the U.S., the 5-year survival rate is about 64% among the lowest for all forms of cancer. When diagnosed during an early stage, the survival rate increases dramatically to 83%. However, oral cavity and pharynx cancers are among the most expensive cancers to treat due to the fact that most cases are advanced at the time of diagnoses.

Under the SBIR project, SensoDX fast Track application seeks to shift the current clinical practice paradigm for screening and diagnosis of potentially malignant oral lesions by moving away from the sole reliance on invasive scalpel biopsies followed by expensive and time consuming pathology exams to a new paradigm whereby noninvasive brush biopsies are combined with a state-of-the-art `cytology-on-a-chip' system for on the spot analysis of samples. This new technology will afford for the first-time single cell analysis of cytology specimens at the point-of-care. These powerful chip-based tools, along with new diagnostic models, have strong promise to improve the way screening and diagnosis of oral cancer is completed on a global basis.

The SensoDX OraTechTM sampling device and integrated OraTechTM cartridge together are projected to form the first effective adjunctive diagnostic aid capable of management of malignant and potentially malignant oral lesions on a rapid time frame with high sensitivity and high specificity. Diagnostic models based on biomarker data derived from these powerful chip-based tools, alongside lesion characteristics obtained from a customized mHealth App will allow for an elegant data fusion process to occur whereby lesion characteristics, risk factors and the numerous cytology factors yield the desperately needed clinical insights for patients suffering from oral cancer.

In second major phase, the consumables will be scaled, manufacturing processes will be developed and the instrumentation and cartridges will be validated using banked specimens.

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Shasqi wins Phase II NSF SBIR grant

InteliSpark client Shasqi, Inc. has been awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant worth $749,906. The grant is for the SBIR project “Biomaterials and Chemistry to Enhance the Delivery of Medicines in the Body.” Shasqi, Inc. is a company that has created a new technology to deliver drugs to specific areas in the body. 

The goal of the SBIR project is to improve a new technology to deliver medicine to specific parts of the body. Local medical problems are issues that affect only one specific part of the body such as your knee. These issues are regularly treated with medicines that spread throughout the entire body and only a small portion actually reaches where it needs to. A medication that reaches its intended target would be ideal. Unfortunately, the majority of medications in the market are not ideal.

Under the SBIR project, Shasqi, Inc. is working on a drug delivery technology allowing implantable material to mark a particular spot of the body where a procedure was done. The drug lasts for a few weeks and allows for the medication a patient is taking to concentrate and activate at the specific area of the body where the drug was implanted instead of all over the body.

The project will determine the Shasqi, Inc. ability to release different drug payloads in vitro and in vivo. These advances will improve drug approval rates, reduce the cost of drug development and bring medicine closer to the ideal medication for local medical problems.

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Pulmokine wins $515K Phase I NIH SBIR grant

Pulmokine, Inc. has been awarded a National Institute of Health Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)  grant worth $515,000 entitled “A Phosphopeptide Multiplex PRM Mass Spectroscopic Biomarker Assay For PAH” . Pulmokine, Inc. is a privately held biopharmaceutical company focusing on pulmonary disease and kinase inhibitor technology. The company’s mission is to develop new ways of treating hard-to-treat lung conditions and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and related disorders.

The grant Pulmokine, Inc. has been awarded is for the SBIR project to develop a quantitative phosphopeptide biomarker assay for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). It will consist of a kit of stable isotopically labeled internal standards of a selected set of phosphopeptides either up or down-regulated in PAH. The set of stable isotopically labeled peptides will be used to quantify the level of target phosphoproteins in the buffy coat fraction of blood in a parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) mass spectroscopy (MS) assay.

The company proposes to determine if a subset of these phosphoproteins are differentially regulated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) (buffy coat, which contains lymphocytes and platelets) of subjects with PAH compared to controls, to develop assays that can be used to determine how the levels of these phosphoproteins change over time, and to determine if these levels correlate with clinically important endpoints: i.e., mortality risk, hospitalization for PAH, and listing for lung transplant.

Phase 2 of the project will address regulatory requirements for kit commercialization, provide a longer validation study, and perform serial sampling of subjects with iPAH to correlate biomarker results with clinical course and prognosis.

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InteliSpark has an open position for an Entry-Level Proposal Development Coordinator

Position: Proposal Development Coordinator

Hours Per Week: Full-Time

Pay: BOE, salary

 Position Overview: The primary role for this position is to provide support for the InteliSpark, LLC (formerly Centurion Technology) team and clients in proposal development and submission. The position is well suited for a new or recent graduate.  Specific activities include:

• Populating federal contract and grant application forms for agencies including NIH, NSF, DoD, DoE, and others

• Tracking application status and required documents

• Composition of short technical documents, including commercialization documents

• Communicating with clients for company onboarding and government registrations

• Additional support activities

Qualifications: Applicants must meet the following specifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in business-related field or equivalent experience in grant management and writing

• Proficiency in communication, written and oral, skills

• Proficiency in Microsoft Suite (e.g., Word, Excel), Adobe Acrobat, Outlook

• Ability to provide attention to detail

• Ability to work independently and demonstrate self-management

       Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with EndNote and Google Spreadsheets

• Experience with project management

• Previous experience with federal contract and grant applications to agencies including: NIH, NSF, DoD, DoE, and others

About the Company: InteliSpark, LLC is a hands-on business development consulting firm specializing in securing non-dilutive funding for start-ups through the Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR), Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR), and other government research funding programs.  We work with start-ups, universities, venture capital firms and economic development programs to match small innovative companies and technologies with funding opportunities. Using our proven track record of creating winning SBIR/STTR proposals, we turn those opportunities into realities. 

To Apply: Please send resume and cover letter to Kirk Macolini at kirk@intelispark.com

Sample 6 Technologies wins NIAID (NIH) Phase II SBIR grant

InteliSpark client Sample6 Technologies has been awarded a $1 million Phase II SBIR grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). The award is for the project “Adaptation Of An Enrichment-Free Listeria Diagnostic To Food Matrices” Sample6 is a company who is dedicated to revolutionize food safety through science, software and passion. The company shifts food safety from reaction to prevention through the use of in-shift pathogen diagnostics paired with powerful analytics. The tools they create are delivered to food processors, retailers and consumers.

Millions of Americans are effected by foodborne illness each year. The illness impact the gastrointestinal microflora resulting in dysbiosis and increasing the risk of other illnesses such as namely irritable bowel syndrome, kidney failure, pancreatitis and diabetes. In fact, diabetics are at an increased risk of developing foodborne illness to begin with and take longer to recover. In 2014 there were 19,542 laboratory confirmed infections, 4,445 hospitalizations and 71 deaths from foodborne illness.

The cause of these illnesses is due to contaminated food that enter the public supply due to lack of detection at the manufacturing/packaging plant, distribution warehouse or retail location. The current tests are ineffective because they require a prolonged enrichment step to decrease the likelihood of false negatives and false positives. This causes a delay in providing actionable results to the food processor leaving them with two choices. They can either store the products for longer until they get the test results back, resulting in older, lower-quality food or sending the products out to the public before receiving the test results putting the public at risk of food contamination.

Under the SBIR project, Sample6 is developing the world’s first enrichment-free foodborne pathogen detection system. DETECT/L is a rapid screening that will detect single Listeria spp. cell in less than seven hours. Sample6’s exclusive Bioillumination platform will allow for speedy turnaround enabling food manufacturers and packagers to quickly detect any contamination and solely retain the products at risk.

However, food can become contaminated later on in the supply chain during production, shipping, or in wholesale and retail environments. It is important to develop a second test to prevent this. The Phase II study will continue the work begun in Phase I to adapt the DETECT/L for finished product testing.

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Rayonix wins DoE Phase I SBIR grant

InteliSpark client Rayonix has been awarded a Department of Energy Phase I SBIR grant. The grant is for the SBIR project “Development and Commercialization of a Novel Two-Color Hybrid Pixel X-Ray Detector”.  Rayonix builds the most advanced large area X-ray detectors on the market. These detectors allow scientists to make strides while researching a number of different scientific fields.

Under the SBIR project, Rayonix will develop and commercialize a fast-new hybrid pixel array detector for use at synchrotron facilities. This new X-ray detector, is referred to as the cPix2. It offers significant novel properties: the ability to record two simultaneous X-ray images at different colors or sample times, and the ability to accurately measure much more intense X-rays than previously possible. The cPix2, has capabilities that are currently not available on the market, such as sync mode for high photon count rate capability, and the ability to produce two full-resolution images per X-ray exposure.

ASIC 48x48 pixel prototype design is completed and physical devices will be available before this grant begins. Standardized Si sensors are available to be bump bonded and SLAC collaborators have the expertise and equipment to accomplish this during Phase I. SLAC is also able to build a first complete camera with readout electronics and computer interface card. At this point the cPix2 will be characterized with X-rays. Software development to produce a Linux driver, user interface and calibration tools, is to be completed by Rayonix. Computer hardware will also be provided by Rayonix and integrated with the new X-ray detector, to produce a complete system that can easily be transported to any synchrotron.

Several scientists and institutions have not only expressed support for this project but are ready to aid in the actual experiments to reach this goal. The cPix2 will be commercially available worldwide which will benefit many different material science research and industry fields and many new classes of experiments, such as pump-probe X-ray scattering, X-ray fluorescence, and time-resolved X-ray spectroscopy, leading to advances in materials research and life sciences.

InteliSpark is now an approved SBIR/STTR service provider for Wisconsin’s Center for Technology Commercialization

We are excited to announce that InteliSpark has recently become approved SBIR/STTR service provider for Wisconsin’s  Center for Technology Commercialization (CTC). The Center for Technology commercialization is a resource for SBIR/STTR funding assistance for small businesses in the state of Wisconsin.

CTC provides the support and guidance necessary for small businesses to bring their innovations to the market. They manage a series of micro-grants on behalf of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. The micro-grants can fund up to $4,500 per micro grant and up to $9,000 per small business.  Eligible Projects include the development of an SBIR/STTR Phase I or Phase II proposal or other federal funding proposal, the development of an SBIR/STTR Phase II Commercialization Plan or a comprehensive business plan and the procurement of a CTC-approved market research study in support of a commercialization or business plan.  Businesses eligible to apply for funding assistance must be starting or expanding a technology-based or research oriented business or a firm located in Wisconsin that relies on the use of technology.

Procedural requirements include contacting the Center for Technology Commercialization (CTC) for intake and an assessment including the creation of a Business Model Canvas with a formal request for a meeting and submitting an online application either for an SBIR/STTR Assistance micro-grant or a Business/Commercialization micro-grant.

ArchieMD wins NIH Phase I SBIR grant

InteliSpark client ArchieMD, Inc. has been awarded a $225,000 grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). The award is a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project entitled “An interactive app to promote safe and effective use of opioids in young children postoperatively.”

ArchieMD is a physician-led company that designs educational products for a variety of different audiences within health sciences. The company produces applications with different types of training programs and simulations and 3D simplified concepts with visual explanations making it easier for the audience to understand.  ArchieMD stands apart from its competitors because they evaluate the educational impact of their applications by using content guidance from nationally recognized subject matter experts along with partnering with leading healthcare institutions.

In recent years, there has been increased attention to pain in children and adolescents leading to a rise in the home use of opioid prescriptions. This has also lead to an increase in hospital visits (>21,000) and accidental overdose deaths in children and adolescence. The heart of this epidemic is directly related to parents having little to no training about opioid usage.

Under this SBIR project, ArchieMD will team up with the University of Michigan to develop a smartphone application. It will be designed for parents who have children prescribed to the home use of opioid prescriptions. The app will provide education and tools to help parents with accurate real-time assessments of both pain and analgesic related adverse drug events (AR-ADEs). The goal of the SBIR is to improve analgesic safety and efficiency by improving parent’s analgesic and pain management skills.

Widetronix wins U.S. Army Phase II SBIR contract

InteliSpark client Widetronix has won a $1 million contract from the U.S. Army for the Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project “Radioisotope Power Source for Long-Lived Sensors and Communications.”

Widetronix is an early stage company that was initially created based on technology developed at Cornell University. They are actively working with customers on defense, medical and industrial applications. The company designs and manufactures ultra-low power sensor platforms with lifetimes designed to exceed 25 years. A key factor in Widetronix technology is that they are based on the companies innovative silicon carbide betavoltaics.   Betavoltaics generate electric current through the non-thermal conversion of beta particles to electrical energy, using a similar process to photovoltaics

The project being funded is to commercialize betavoltaic power sources which can last >25 years to extend the operational lifetimes for low-power applications in defense, medical and industrial monitoring applications. Currently, the commercially available power-storage devices / batteries only have a life-span that rarely reaches 10 years.