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[news 2005-2006]
Innovations
in biomedical assessment receive inaugural Atherton
Awards
Two Queen's-generated startup companies awarded funding
to advance novel technologies to market
Sept. 26, 2006
For immediate release
KINGSTON, ON -- BKIN
Technologies Ltd. and Invenium
Technologies Corp ., two startup companies founded
on Queen's University research in the field of biomedical
assessment, are the inaugural winners of the Atherton
Entrepreneurship Award.
The award, established in 2005 by Professor
David Atherton of Queen's Dept. of Physics, provides
seed money of up to $34,000 to assist young Queen's
University entrepreneurs to launch an entrepreneurial
science or engineering business in Canada. The award
is administered by PARTEQ Innovations, the technology
transfer office of Queen's University.
About the winners:
BKIN Technologies Ltd .of Kingston ON, received $34,000
to further develop and market KINARM™, a patented robotic
assessment tool for individuals with motor impairment
resulting from neurological injury.
BKIN was established in 2004 based on the research of
Dr. Stephen Scott, a Professor in the Centre for Neuroscience
Studies at Queen's, and a recognized international leader
in research in the field of neurosensorimotor function.
Dr. Scott's KINARM™ has been developed and sold to 11
researchers across North America, and three additional
systems are under construction. These early adopters
are using KINARM™ to understand how the brain controls
upper body movements, a quantitative exercise that was
not possible before KINARM™. BKIN's immediate aim is
to be first to market with a high-tech, quantitative
assessment system for stroke patients.
BKIN's Atherton Award will pay for staff time to integrate
data analysis tools with the KINARM system. It will
also enable the company to increase its market presence
by showcasing the technology to clinical researchers
at an international conference.
“We are delighted to be recognized with this award,”
says Dr. Ian Brown, co-founder and Director of Operations
at BKIN. “For aspiring entrepreneurs on campus, Dr.
Atherton is both a role model for, and a generous supporter
of, faculty and students who wish to take their research
outcomes to the market.”
Invenium Technologies
Corp. of Toronto received $34,000 to develop “smart”
electromyography biosensors, which provide measurement
of muscular activity, and are used in applications such
as prosthesis control, athletic performance monitoring,
and telesurgery.
Invenium was co-founded in 2005 by Dr. Farid Mobasser,
a PhD graduate of Electrical and Computer Engineering
at Queen's University and president of Invenium Technologies
Corp. The company's first product, the SmartEMG sensor,
is a wearable sleeve with wireless sensors that offers
improved measurement of signal quality. The technology
overcomes the drawbacks of existing commercial technologies,
which are cumbersome, difficult to install, and inaccurate
in their measuring capabilities.
Invenium's award will be used to develop a second prototype
of the SmartEMG sensor, which has immediate applications
in rehabilitation, prosthetics and ergonomics. Future
applications include educational and research tools.
"We are very pleased to be the winner of this year's
award, as it provides a financial boost for us during
a critical period of product development," says Dr.
Mobasser. “Certainly Dr. Atherton's idea and generosity
are very beneficial to the Queen's community, and this
award is an excellent idea for recognizing and motivating
entrepreneurs.”
About the Atherton Award:
The Atherton Award
was established in 2005 by Dr.
David Atherton of Queen's Department of Physics
and financed from the proceeds donated by Prof. Atherton
and the Pressure Pipe Inspection Company (PPIC) of Mississauga,
ON. Prof. Atherton's patented electromagnetic technology
for inspecting prestressed concrete water supply pipes
formed the basis for PPIC in 1997. The award encourages
research partnerships between young entrepreneurs and
faculty at Queen's.
About PARTEQ Innovations:
PARTEQ Innovations is the not-for-profit technology
transfer arm of Queen's University. PARTEQ works with
Queen's researchers and the business and venture capital
communities to bring early stage technologies to market.
Since 1987 PARTEQ has been instrumental in the establishment
of nearly 40 companies developing a variety of products,
from potential drugs for Alzheimer's, cancer and heart
disease to automated bacteria detection for water systems,
solar-powered appliances, and advanced materials used
in the plastics, automotive, aerospace and household
appliance industries.
Contacts:
Dr. Ian Brown
Director of Operations
BKIN Technologies Ltd.
P: 613. 533. 2790
E: info@bkintechnologies.com
W: www.bkintechnologies.com
Dr. Farid Mobasser
President
Invenium Technologies Corp.
P: 416. 227. 1444
E: info@invenium.ca
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