Case Western Reserve University : Innovation + Job News

More than 300 expected at first Advanced Energy B2B Conference and Expo

Thursday, September 08, 2011

Ohio may not have the sunshine or constant wind found elsewhere, but there's no doubt about it. Advanced and alternative energy is becoming a big deal in Ohio.

The growth of the industry is the catalyst for Nortech's first ever Advanced Energy B2B Conference and Expo Sept. 14 and 15 in downtown Akron, says Karen Allport, vice president of strategic outreach for the tech-based economic development organization serving northeast Ohio.

“Ohio has a very strong manufacturing base, innovative research facilities and a highly skilled workforce,” she explains. “In fact, we have more than 400 organizations, large and small, engaged in advanced energy research and manufacturing.”

Ohio leads the Great Lakes in offshore wind development, with wind farms throughout the state. Major studies are being conducted on fuel cells and photovoltaics, and Northeast Ohio is teeming with top-notch national and international manufacturers and research institutions.

Allport ticks off names of some Ohio companies involved in advanced energy.

“FirstEnergy is the nation’s fifth-largest investor owned electric utility,” Allport points out. Others include Eaton Corp., Lincoln Electric, Babcock & Wilcox, Cliffs Natural Resources, GE Lighting, Parker Hannifin, and the Timken Company, she notes. She also mentions ongoing energy research at Kent State University, the University of Akron, and Case Western Reserve University.

Consider this: Ohio is fourth in the country in the number of clean energy jobs, with 35,267 employees working in the state’s advanced energy industries. Ohio is sixth in the nation in number of clean technology businesses, for a total of 2,513 clean energy companies. We’re also seventh nationwide in the total number of clean energy patents filed -- 309 patents over the past decade.

There’s an international component to the Advanced Energy B2B Conference and Expo as well, according to Allport.

“We have a mayor’s association involved whose members want to showcase advanced energy activities in their communities, so they’re in touch with groups in India and Great Britain to generate interest in collaboration,” she explains. “Our overall goal with this energy conference and expo is to provide programs and exhibits that drive opportunities for commercial activities,” Allport notes.

With more than 300 people from all over Ohio and nationwide expected to attend and all 70 exhibit spaces already sold out for the upcoming conference, perhaps the combination of advanced energy + the state of Ohio will finally gets its due.

Source: Karen Allport, Nortech
Writer: Lynne Meyer

Promising artificial lung development can mean long-term mobility for patients

Thursday, August 25, 2011

A team of researchers has developed an artificial lung that uses regular air, not pure oxygen, and is portable, marking a huge step forward for people with acute and chronic lung disease. The research is a result of collaboration between Case Western Reserve University and the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center.

"The most significant finding is that we have demonstrated a small scale, prototype artificial lung," says Joseph A. Potkay, research assistant professor in CWRU's department of electrical engineering and computer science. "It represents a major leap forward toward a self-contained, portable or implantable device that would use ambient air, rather than oxygen cylinders, and would thus give patients full mobility."

Current artificial lung systems require heavy tanks of oxygen, limiting patients' portability -- and they can be used only on patients at rest. Also, the lifetime of the system is measured in days. This new prototype is much smaller in size -- equivalent to a natural lung.

"These results prove that constructing a device with features similar in size to those found in the natural lung can result in large improvements in efficiency over current alternatives, thereby enabling portable devices," says Potkay. "This technology will be used in portable heart lung machines and portable systems for the treatment of acute and chronic lung disease or as a bridge to transplant."

Potkay and his team began developing the lung in early 2008 and will begin animal testing in two years. Human trials should begin in 10 years. The research was funded by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Lung disease affects over 200 million people worldwide.

Source: Joseph A. Potkay
Writer: Karin Connelly

Engineers, Lady Gaga and a guy dancing in a chain-mail suit

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Imagine seeing music converted into lightening. That's what you'll witness at a performance by Case Western Reserve University's Tesla Orchestra.

The group has the world's largest twin musical tesla coils. They're 13 feet tall and generate 13-to-18-feet-long lightening streaks to music that includes the theme from the movie "2001:A Space Odyssey" and songs by Lady Gaga, the B-52s and Girl Talk.

Ian Charnas, who received undergraduate degrees in computer engineering and mechanical engineering from Case in 2005, started the Tesla Orchestra in 2008.

"At schools offering engineering degrees, civil engineering students typically design a bridge, and mechanical engineering students design a car," he explains. "There wasn't a standard project for electrical engineering students. I thought this would be a cool electrical project with lots of facets and challenges to it that could also include mechanical engineering students."

Twenty undergraduate and graduate electrical and mechanical engineering students are involved in the Tesla Orchestra, as well as some alumni and staff.

Ed Burwell, the Sears Undergraduate Design Laboratory Director in Case's School of Engineering, provides guidance to the students.

Having both electrical engineering students and mechanical engineering students collaborate on this is important," he explains. "It gives electrical engineering students something unusual to work on with a lot of challenges they wouldn't experience with more mundane projects, and mechanical engineering students are solving problems that contribute to the form and function of the tesla coils. Students in both disciplines are getting valuable insights into real-world design."

The Tesla Orchestra performed in Croatia and the Netherlands last summer and recently entertained more than 600 fans at Cleveland's Masonic Auditorium. Through its new Open Spark Project, the Tesla Orchestra is inviting musicians everywhere to submit their songs to be performed.

Although Charnas has graduated from Case and runs a company that develops websites and i-phone apps, he is still very much involved in the Tesla Orchestra. "I interact and dance with the lightening in a full-body chain-mail suit during our concerts," he says, noting that the electricity goes through the chain mail suit and not through him. "Everyone needs a hobby," he remarks. "This is mine."

Sources: Ian Charnas, founder Tesla Orchestra, and Ed Burwell, Case Western Reserve University
Writer: Lynne Meyer

Case Western grads' award-winning software to help online sellers

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Recent Case Western Reserve University mechanical engineering graduates Austin Schmidt and Solomon Alkhasov won the 2011 Idea Competition, sponsored by LaunchHouse and CSU's Accelerated MBA program at Nance College of Business. They created a company called Affinity Algorithms, which develops proprietary computer arbitrage software to facilitate transactions between buyers and sellers in various online marketplaces. The software provides greater liquidity and price transparency in the marketplaces.

"We are developing a suite of online software that helps the seller in fragmented marketplaces better manage inventory," explains Schmidt. Although Schmidt and Alkhasov came up with the idea from their experiences buying and selling textbooks in college, they say it can be applied to many online marketplaces.

The idea for Affinity Algorithms came about in January, they set up shop in March, and landed at LaunchHouse this month. They plan to roll out a full build of the software in September.

Students from all Northeast Ohio colleges and universities were invited to pitch a business concept to a panel of entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, CSU faculty and LaunchHouse staff. The contest primarily focused on students who had innovative ideas in the fields of software and internet technology, low-tech medical devices and clean energy.

The second winner is Ronny Shalev, also a student at Case. Shalev created a product known as an autonomous intravenous (IV) insertion tool that will be the most effective replacement for the current procedure of manual vein localization and needle insertion. Shalev's tool will completely replace the need for trained medical staff.

Contest winners were each awarded a $2,500 scholarship to the Global AMBA program along with a prize basket of support services from LaunchHouse, "Additionally, we received a $500 check from LaunchHouse, along with a bunch of services that include legal services, accounting, and free space for three months," says Schmidt. "All in all, a very comprehensive package with everything needed to get a business off the ground."

The winners will also have the opportunity to compete for up to $5000 in follow on funding.

Source: Austin Schmidt, Affinity Algorithms
Writer: Karin Connelly

This story originally appeared in hiVelocity's sister publication Fresh Water Cleveland.

Case Western researchers develop self-healing polymer

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University have invented a polymer coating that can repair itself. Stuart Rowan, CWRU professor of macromolecular science and engineering, along with his team and researchers from the University of Fribourg in Switzerland and the Army Research Laboratory at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland, has spent the last three years developing a rubber-like protective coating that heals itself when an ultraviolet light is shined on it for just a few seconds.

"The idea was to develop a coating that, if it was damaged in any way, we could repair just by shining a light on it," says Rowan. "A lot of my research is creating stimulating response materials."

The science behind the technology involves taking a long chain of polymers and reducing it to small chains. When the UV light -- much like the light used in dentist offices -- shines on them, the polymers become temporarily unglued. They reassemble when the light is shut off, thus repairing the scratches.

"It works perfectly for coating penetrations," says Rowan.

The scientists envision that self-healing polymers like theirs could be used in automotive paints, varnishes for floors and furniture, and many other applications. "The material could be used in potentially any paint or coating use," says Rowan.

Their findings were published in the April 21 issue of the journal Nature.

The team is currently in talks with companies to see if there is an interest in commercializing the material.

Source: Stuart Rowan, Case Western Reserve University
Writer: Karen Connelly

This story originally appeared in hiVelocity's sister publication, Fresh Water Cleveland.

Thermalin closes $2.85-million investment, to add key hires

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Thermalin Diabetes, a JumpStart Ventures portfolio company, recently closed $2.85 million in Series A investments, paving the way to the further development of short, medium and long lasting insulin analogs by Case Western Reserve Medical School Dr. Michael A. Weiss.

The announcement includes a second $250,000 investment from JumpStart, and exceeds Thermalin's original target by $1 million.

"Having this round closed is great," says Thermalin CEO Rick Berenson. "I'm very excited about the progress. I'm looking forward to being able to report further progress."

The company is now moving immediately into Series B, in which the hope is to raise another $8 million.

"With that we should be able to get through [the first] phases of studies."

The patents on existing insulins on the market are due to expire in 2013 and 2014, so the interest in Thermalin's developments is huge worldwide. Weiss' work centers around developing insulins that are more stable and effective on a more timely basis.

Thermalin has developed about 40 different analogs. The funding will allow the company to continue testing to determine which analogs to commercialize.

Insulin is a $14 billion a year market -- the largest volume drug market in the world. Insulin sales are expected to double in the U.S., triple in Europe and increase 12-fold elsewhere in the world as the disease reaches epidemic levels.

Thermalin employs six full time scientists at the Cleveland Clinic's Global Cardiovascular Innovation Center. The investment allows for additional key hires, including a senior scientist.

Source: Rick Berenson, Termalin
Writer: Karin Connelly

This story originally appeared in Fresh Water Cleveland.

Aeroclay�s �dirty milkshake� strives to become versatile, green alternative to petro-based polymers

Thursday, February 10, 2011

David Schiraldi, a polymer industry veteran and chair of Case Western University's Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering, calls it the "best product concept I've run into in my career."

Now, Schiraldi's company, Solon-based Aeroclay, is working to commercialize its advanced material made of clay, milk and water -- what he and his students refer to as "a dirty milkshake."

The technology was born at Case Western and licensed to Aeroclay, for which Schiraldi is chief science officer. Discovered by accident, the product with the same name as the company is lighter, greener and more versatile than petroleum-based polymers, he says.

The process sounds deceptively simple: Mix clay, milk and water in a blender, freeze dry it in a mold, and voila -- a material that, depending on the formula used, feels like Styrofoam, cork, balsa wood or other materials commonly used in industry. Aeroclay's polymer content -- some 40 different polymers are possible at present -- is derived from casein, the protein found in the milk.

One of the big advantages of Aeroclay is that "when you're half dirt, you don't burn very well or barely burn at all," Schiraldi says. "If you insulate something with polystyrene foam and you get a short circuit, your house burns down. With this, we can take a propane torch to it for five minutes and nothing happens."

Because the material doesn't rely on petroleum, Aeroclay is environmentally friendly. Additionally, using milk as the source for polymer-producing protein could benefit the dairy industry, Schiraldi says.

While Schiraldi says petroleum-based products will be cheaper than Aeroclay for some time, he says the product is poised to find its way into niche markets attracted to its other properties. He says the company, formed last April, is negotiating with a number of Fortune 100 firms, has joint development agreements with a couple of large companies, and expects commercialization near the end of the year.

Most of the company's revenue is likely to come from licensing deals rather than on-site production, Schiraldi says. Aeroclay currently employs six, but will grow as the business expands, he predicts.

Source: David Schiraldi, Aeroclay
Writer: Gene Monteith

TOA�s rapid growth recognized in new Beachwood headquarters, #1 ranking on Weatherhead 100

Thursday, February 10, 2011

TOA Technologies ended the year as the fastest growing company in northeast Ohio.

Tonight, it celebrates the opening of a larger headquarters building in Beachwood.

The company has developed a system it says can schedule mobile service personnel -- think of the cable guy or refrigerator repair technician -- in a one-hour slot with nearly 100 percent accuracy.

Growth in both employment -- 220 today, compared with two in 2004 -- and revenues have spurred outside recognition and the need for larger quarters.

In December, TOA was recognized by the Weatherhead 100 as the fastest-growing company in northeast Ohio. The annual listing, named after the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland and compiled and managed by the Council of Smaller Enterprises (COSE), measures sales revenues over a five-year period.

TOA's growth was cited at 1,144.12 percent in the most recent rankings.

Tonight, TOA is celebrating the grand opening of its new headquarters, an 11,000-sq.-foot building with four times the former space. The larger headquarters will allow the company to double its Cleveland-area staff to 50 this year, according to company officials.

President and CEO Yuval Brisker said in October that the company expected revenues to grow 75 percent to 80 percent in 2010 from 2009 figures. TOA now reports it did even better, with contracted annual revenue growing by more than 120 percent in 2010.

Sources: Jennifer Friedman, VP of Marketing, TOA; and Megan E. Kim, director, education & programs, COSE
Writer: Gene Monteith

Case Western licenses breakthrough cancer tech to genetics firm

Thursday, January 13, 2011

SOURCE: Fresh Water Cleveland

In a laboratory at Case Western Reserve University's School of Medicine, Zhenghe John Wang and a team of researchers developed a panel of new human isogenic cell models, which look much like mutated cancer cells. Through these cell models, researchers can get a handle on how cancer takes shape in the human body.

"We actually created a technology where we can add tags into cancer cells so we can track them," says Wang, assistant professor of genetics at Case's School of Medicine. Not only can this technology help researchers to better understand how cancer cells evolve, it can also provide assistance with cancer treatment programs, Wang says.

Now this process has an even greater chance of affecting cancer treatments, as medical research company Horizon Discovery has obtained exclusive rights to the panel of new human isogenic cell models. This means that the British medical research company will be able to add this technology to its existing models, which are used to predict patient response to current and future drug treatments.

Horizon Discovery has licensed the new cell models for ten years and will pay Case an initial fee, with rights to royalties from future product sales.

"We really wanted to work with someone interested in this technology," Wang says, adding that the agreement with Horizon Discovery will allow for research on a grander scale. Meanwhile, Wang and his team will continue to advance use of human isogenic cell models at Case. "Hopefully, we can make a big impact on cancer research," he says.

Source: Case Western Reserve University
Writer: Diane DiPiero

Synapse Biomedical's pacemaker for the diaphragm frees paralysis patients from machines

Thursday, September 23, 2010

A pacemaker for the heart is commonplace. So why not a pacemaker for the diaphragm?

Thanks to Synapse Biomedical in Oberlin, that vision is now a reality.

Formed 2002 as one of Cleveland-based JumpStart's original portfolio companies, Synapse has commercialized technology developed at Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals in Cleveland.

The company's NeuRx Diaphragm Pacing System works by electrically stimulating the nerves that control the diaphragm -- the organ that works like an internal billows to relax and contract the lungs. People with spinal cord injuries, Lou Gehrig's Disease and other neurological ailments previously spent their lives attached to mechanical ventilators.

One early user -- in fact the third ever -- was actor Christopher Reeve, who needed assistance breathing after he was paralyzed in a fall from a horse.

"We now have about 350 people implanted with the device from Iceland to Australia," says Tony Ignagni, Synapse's president and CEO.

Approved in Europe for a wide range of disorders, the pacing system currently is approved in the U.S. only for spinal cord injuries, Ignani says.

"Right now our main focus is on getting the ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) approval in the U.S. We've collected all the data and we're working through an FDA process."

The company has about a dozen employees, but with approval for additional uses in the United States, that number could rise, Ignani says.

"The ALS market is actually about 10 times the size of the spinal cord market."

Source: Tony Ignagni, Synapse Biomedical
Writer: Gene Monteith

Student-founded LifeServe hoping to save lives while building the brand

Thursday, July 01, 2010

LifeServe Innovations -- a student-run, ground-stage medical device company -- is bridging the gap between academia and medicine. And its founders hope to save some lives along the way.

Richard Arlow and Zachary Bloom formed LifeServe Innovations after completing undergraduate research at Lehigh University. While the company is incorporated in Pennsylvania, the two are in the process of moving LifeServe permanently to Ohio, where they are getting plenty of attention.

Arlow, a second-year medical student at Case Western Reserve University, says it was his work as an EMT where he began to realize needs in the medical field. "We started talking to emergency physicians and EMTs about what problems they had and we decided to hone in on the airway field," he says.

LifeServe's two products, Cobra Tracheostomy and Viper Cricothyrotomy, are both geared (using a snake's fang design) to open airways in the neck during last-resort emergencies for the delivery of oxygen.

"It was really shocking to see the tools that people are currently using," Arlow says. "A lot of these devices are horrible and can be extremely complicated � it can be even worse in battlefield situations."

So far LifeServe has raised $100,000 in funding, including $25,000 for taking first place at the Akron-based LaunchTown Entrepreneurship Awards last month. The company also won Goldstein Caldwell and Associates Pitch Day Competition in Cleveland in April. Arlow says the company is applying for additional grants from the government and the military.

LifeServe is still in the pre-clinical testing phase, but Arlow says the company will soon begin testing cadavers and a product on the market within one year � adding as many as five positions.

Source: Richard Arlow, LifeServe
Writer: Colin McEwen

Neuros Medical's goal: no more pain meds

Thursday, June 03, 2010

People who suffer from chronic pain could someday toss their painkillers into the garbage. For good.

Neuros Medical is developing a device that uses an electrode to deliver high-frequency stimulation to sensory nerves in the peripheral nervous system. Basically, pain signals in the spine just won't make it to the brain.

The Willoughby-based company was founded in 2008 using technology invented by two Case Western Reserve University doctors.

Jon Snyder, founder and CEO of Neuros Medical, says Northeast Ohio has become an international hub for researching � and producing � neurostimulation devices.

"There's a great amount of this type of technology being discovered and refined here, especially with institutions in the area like the Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, Case Western and the Functional Electrical Stimulation Center," Snyder says. "This region is very well-known for uncovering new uses for neurostimulation."

Neuros Medical is currently in the product-development stage, but the company's pace is moving quickly. Human studies are expected this year.

Investors have taken notice � to the tune of $1.8 million so far. That includes support from JumpStart ($275,000), North Coast Angel Fund ($200,000) and Ohio TechAngels ($200,000).

"In Ohio, we've got some great support organizations, to help companies get through their early stages of development," he says.

Neuros Medical employs three people, not including consultants that are hired regionally. Within the next few years, Snyder expects to have a product on the market � which will add even more jobs. However, the company could add as many as six positions within one year. "Maybe even more," he adds.

Source: Jon Snyder, Neuros Medical
Writer: Colin McEwen

Parker Hannifin moves into wind energy with new turbine project

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Parker Hannifin is known worldwide for manufacturing valves, fittings, hoses and dozens of other products.

The Cleveland-based company can now add another product to its catalog. Sometime this year, the company is expected to launch its line of high-speed brakes for wind turbines, similar to those used in helicopters.

Although the company is already well established � with more than 50,000 employees (4,000 in Ohio) and a 90-year history � Parker Hannifin is getting some serious support for this new economy project.

The company was awarded $1 million for the Ohio Wind Turbine Brake Commercialization project from the state's Third Frontier initiative and is working with other agencies, including Case Western Reserve University.

Spokesman Aidan Gormley says as many as 40 high-paying technology-based jobs will be added over the next six years, thanks to the company's new line.

The company is modeling the wind turbine technology off of its current helicopter brake experience. The part will be manufactured at its Aircraft Wheel and Brake Division in Avon � one of 30 Parker plants in Ohio.

"This is simply an adaptation and integration of our existing technology capabilities into solutions for a new and rapidly expanding market." Gormley says, adding that the company is moving toward the development of more energy efficient technologies � including geothermal, ocean energy, fuel cell, solar and hydropower applications.

"Parker believes that Ohio has a tremendous opportunity to grow its economy by building on the strengths of its existing business base in advanced energy technologies."

Source: Aidan Gormley, Parker Hannifin
Writer: Colin McEwen

Sustainability name of game at Garland Co.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

The Garland Company began manufacturing and marketing environmentally-conscious roofing and flooring solutions long before the term "sustainable design" became stylish. Today, sustainability is Garland doctrine.

The company that began with just one employee more than 100 years ago now employs more than 500 people across 12 sister companies under the umbrella organization of Garland Industries Inc.

Founded in 1895 as an oil, grease and paint supplier, Garland today is 100 percent employee-owned, manufacturing high-performance products for commercial, industrial and public properties.

The product line includes reflective, modified bitumen, metal, vegetative and photovoltaic solutions.

"Garland is at the forefront of our industry in the area of sustainable technology for the total building envelope," says Tom Bauer, a Garland Company product Manager. "We've built our entire family of technologies around the belief that longevity is the primary attribute of sustainable design."

Garland's earliest vegetative roofs were introduced to the market in 1991. And in 2008 the company launched "Garland Greenhouse" branding to identify its growing family of sustainable offerings.

Last year, Garland was recognized as one of the fastest growing companies in Northeast Ohio, receiving the Weatherhead Centurion award from the Case Western Reserve University Weatherhead School of Management and the Council Of Smaller Enterprises.

Bauer says there are no plans to leave the area.

"(Cleveland) has been hospitable to the numerous expansions we have undertaken over the years," he says. "We have been fortunate enough to have benefited at times from various economic development initiatives offered by the city, and (we) are proud to call Cleveland our home."

Sources: Michelle Sweitzer and Tom Bauer, The Garland Company
Writer: Colin McEwen

Stem research center moves needle on medical discovery

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Stem cell research is a hot topic, both scientifically and politically, and nowhere is it hotter than at the Center for Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine in Cleveland.

Founded in 2003 with a $19.4-millon Ohio Third Frontier grant as a Wright Center of Innovation, CSCRM now conducts research that may someday lead to new treatments for cancer and all sorts of blood, neurodegenerative, musculoskeletal, orthopedic and cardiovascular disorders.

"The center has a huge amount of intelligence behind it," says Director Stan Gerson. "We have about 90 investigators with funding. It's fair to argue that we have as many different types of stem cells in clinical trials as anywhere in the world."

The center is not one entity, but a collaboration of six: Case Western Reserve University, The Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, The Ohio State University and Athersys, Inc., a leading company in development of therapeutic stem cell treatments.

CSCRM has continually received support for its work from the State of Ohio, including an additional $8-million award in 2006 from Ohio's Biomedical Research and Commercialization Program and a $5-million award last June from the Ohio Third Frontier Commission.

Despite progress being made, Gerson cautions that cures arising from stem cell research may not come as quickly as some would like.

"If you've heard of early phase technology, this is it," he says. Creating new drugs from stem cells "is a 25-year process."

In early December, the National Institutes of Health announced approval of 13 new cell lines for study using tax dollars.

"It's going to be very helpful to us to have access to additional cell lines," Gerson says.

Source: Stan Gerson, Center for Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine
Writer: Gene Monteith