Tag: UPitt

PITTSBURGH – One of the goals of a new post-doctoral fellowship program at the University of Pittsburgh is to fill a long-standing void in assistive technology research, says Mark Schmeler.  UPitt’s Rehabilitation Science and Technology Department announced in July that it received a five-year grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research to support clinicians with post-doctoral fellowships to advance their careers in assistive...

GOLETA, Calif. - Inogen has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Physio-Assist SAS, a privately held company based in France that makes a technology-enabled airway clearance device called Simeox, for $32 million.  Simeox has been cleared under CE mark in the EU and is currently being sold in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.  “This acquisition aligns with our strategy to diversify our portfolio to globally improve patient lives through respiratory care,” said...

PITTSBURGH – The University of Pittsburgh Rehabilitation Science and Technology Department has received a five-year grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research to support clinicians with post-doctoral fellowships to advance their careers in assistive technology practice, research and policy. The program is called Career Advancement in Assistive Technology Practice, Research & Policy (CAT-PRep). “Other than pursuing a PhD, most clinicians...

ARLINGTON, Va. – RESNA Fellow Dr. Rory Cooper is one of 16 innovation pioneers who will be honored as part of the 50th class of National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF) inductees, the organization has announced. The 2023 class was announced at the recent Consumer Electronics Show in New York. Cooper is the founder and director of the Human Engineering Research Laboratories (HERL), a collaboration between the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the University of Pittsburgh. A biomedical engineer,...

PITTSBURGH – A new study showing the functional mobility, employment and safety benefits of seat elevation devices is a good example of how large data sets can be used to, hopefully, guide policy and practice, says Mark Schmeler.  The study, published online in Assistive Technology, the official journal of RESNA, in October, pulled findings from the Functional Mobility Assessment tool, which now has more than 13,000 data points.   “This is the first example our industry...

PITTSBURGH – Clinicians, suppliers and manufacturers have a unique opportunity to shape a potential new policy for wheelchair service and funding, says the University of Pittsburgh’s Mark Schmeler.  In November, the university, in collaboration with other investigators, launched a survey to identify the benefits and shortcomings of existing policy in the United States and around the world.  “We want to be able to show, when we design our new policy, that we didn’t...

PITTSBURGH – The University of Pittsburgh, in collaboration with other investigators, has launched a survey on wheelchair service and funding and seeks participation from various stakeholders, including clinicians, suppliers and manufacturers.  The goal of the survey: To identify the benefits and shortcomings of various types of existing wheelchair policies, both in the United States and around the world.  “Participation includes responding to a series of questions related...

PITTSBURGH - The University of Pittsburgh, among others, has received a $2.5 million grant over five years to investigate a new health coverage policy for complex rehab wheelchairs. The University of Pittsburgh Department of Rehabilitation Science & Technology, in collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), UPMC Health Plan, The Ohio State University, University of Michigan and key disability, industry, and policy stakeholders, will be working together on the project. “We...

PITTSBURGH - More than anything, the University of Pittsburgh's new Master of Rehabilitation Technology program will help to raise awareness among young professionals that specializing in assistive technology is a valid profession, says Mark Schmeler. So far, the department has received MRT applications from 10 students, mostly with engineering or pre-health science degrees, with a goal of up to 20 for the first year of the program. “There's a lot of potential workforce talent out there that...

PITTSBURGH - The University of Pittsburgh is surveying prospective attendees of the 37th International Seating Symposium about their likelihood of attending the event, depending on the pandemic situation. The four-question survey asks attendees: What is your primary purpose for attending ISS; if by Jan. 15, the pandemic situation has not improved or changed, would you plan on attending the event in-person, attend remotely or not attend at all; if the situation has improved (i.e. a reliable vaccine...