Atlanta Pediatric Device Consortium

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The overall goal is to provide the best medical care possible for our pediatric population. This proposal aims to take advantage of the depth and breadth of capabilities at Atlanta's partnering institutions to form the Atlanta Pediatric Device Consortium, with the purpose of increasing the development and production of devices for children that will improve their health. Children's is the nation's largest comprehensive-care pediatric hospital system. In partnership with Emory University and Georgia Tech's College of Engineering, Children's has made an investment in pediatric research that spans the healthcare continuum. Importantly, Children's, Emory and Georgia Tech have pioneered novel device development that is specifically oriented towards the needs of children. The consortium will achieve its goals by formalizing existing relationships between the Georgia Tech Translational Research Institute for Biomedical Engineering and Science (TRIBES), which focuses on the need for engineering systems that results in commercial products; the Global Center for Medical Innovation, which designs and produces Good Manufacturing Practices-manufactured prototypes; and the Good Laboratory Practices-certified large animal facility at St. Joseph's Translational Research Institute. Consortium institutions will partner with the National Institutes of Health-sponsored Atlanta Clinical Translational Science Institute, providing a venue for first-in-child testing and clinical assessments. Specific aims include: providing access to a continuum of services for identifying novel technologies, determining a development plan for commercialization, and partnering with consortium centers to assist with execution. Other goals include establishing a clinical advisory board to assess the scientific and medical merit of proposed devices; providing a mechanism for generating external funding; and developing a cadre of clinicians, scientists, and engineers with an understanding of the requirements for design and implementation of devices for children. Five projects are proposed to demonstrate the consortium's ability to identify, develop, and commercialize pediatric devices. The product development pathway will be scrutinized to ensure clinical utility. Finally, the consortium will provide educational opportunities to train students, clinicians and entrepreneurs in the important aspect of health care delivery.