Advanced Platform Technology Center

高级平台技术(APT)中心满足残疾人迫切的临床需求 退伍军人通过利用尚未开发的工程学和基础科学学科的最新发展， 并将其用于设计和传播新的康复干预措施。该中心为 在一个框架内创建和临床翻译新的、交叉的设备或方法 促进法规遵从性、合同制造商外包、临床测试和传播 在整个康复社区。其独特的支持环境使退伍军人管理局调查人员能够 开发高级辅助或恢复性技术，为退伍军人提供感觉、运动或认知方面的服务 缺陷，以及肢体丧失。该中心利用当地重要的专业知识进行研究和 三个主要临床应用领域的开发活动：假肢和矫形学、健康监测和 维护和神经接口。全新的创新设备和基础技术资源 从概念验证到首例临床可行性试验的治疗范例 这些领域是由该中心的支持技术核心开发的。中心项目涉及新材料和 用于新型神经治疗或神经假体的与神经系统通信的微系统 促进创面愈合或调节的电疗法的干预、机制和最佳输送 慢性疼痛，用于护理点血液分析和个性化健康的新型传感系统，取代或 通过无线传感器恢复肢体和肺功能，长期监测膀胱状态，新颖 主动外骨骼和铰接式支撑结构，能够移动和爬楼梯，以及先进的 神经集成假体，以恢复上肢或下肢截肢者的感觉。 该中心已经建立了所需的内部工程、质量控制和监管体系 成功地将其发现转化为临床实施。中心计划促进了发电和 保护原创知识产权，鼓励与当地临床服务互动 医疗中心，并发现、指导和留住致力于改善退伍军人的有才华的临床医生-科学家 健康。APT调查人员从多个地方、国家、政府、 以及私人机构，包括来自NIH、DARPA、NSF和国防部的主要奖项，以及功绩审查 和其他退伍军人管理局的资金，并在著名的同行评议期刊、临床和 科学会议和非专业媒体。该中心还设立了临床和工业咨询委员会，以及 包括退伍军人服务局代表在内的其他治理和计划评估机制 组织，积极与学术和商业伙伴建立富有成效的合作。《中心》 将LSCVAMC建立为退伍军人事务部创新者网络中的一个站点，并获得火花、种子和传播级别 资金，以促进与其他退伍军人医学中心分享其发展。内部试点资金计划 也选择和支持有希望的研究，这些研究有可能最终导致独立资助 以及对残疾退伍军人重要的项目进行商业翻译。 未来五年的优先事项包括：1)过渡到无线膀胱压力监测，自适应 电疗设备进入人体，微流控人工肺进入大型动物试验，2)部署 用于先进的感觉运动型机器人上肢假体和修复的新的完全植入的系统 经股截肢者的足底压力感，3)解决截肢者的幻觉疼痛和 糖尿病神经病变退伍军人的感觉正常化，4)探索个性化的基于游戏的前庭 康复和增加适应运动的机会，5)延长皮层记录的功能 脑机接口电极和通过减轻毒性脑损伤促进恢复 炎症反应，以及6)扩大外展、老兵参与和能力建设活动。

The Advanced Platform Technology (APT) Center addresses the pressing clinical needs of disabled Veterans by harnessing the most recent developments in untapped engineering and basic science disciplines, and applying them to design and disseminate new rehabilitation interventions. The Center facilitates the creation and clinical translation of novel, cross cutting devices or methodologies within a framework that promotes regulatory compliance, outsourcing by contract manufacturers, clinical testing, and dissemination throughout the rehabilitation community. Its unique and supportive environment enables VA investigators to develop advanced assistive or restorative technologies that serve Veterans with sensory, motor, or cognitive deficits, as well as limb loss. The Center capitalizes on significant local expertise in pursuit of research and development activities in three main clinical Application Areas: Prosthetics & Orthotics, Health Monitoring & Maintenance, and Neural Interfacing. Innovative devices and foundational technical resources for the new treatment paradigms to progress from proof-of-concept through first-in-man clinical feasibility testing in these areas are developed by the Center’s Enabling Technology core. Center projects address new materials and microsystems for communicating with the nervous system for novel neurotherapeutic or neuroprosthetic interventions, mechanisms and optimal delivery of electrotherapy to accelerate wound healing or modulate chronic pain, novel sensing systems for point-of-care blood analysis and personalized health, replacing or restoring limb and pulmonary function, long-term monitoring of bladder status through wireless sensors, novel active exoskeletons and articulated support structures that enable locomotion and stair climbing, and advanced neurally-integrated prostheses to restore sensation to upper or lower limb amputees. The Center has established the internal engineering, quality control, and regulatory systems required for successful translation of its discoveries to clinical implementation. Center programs facilitate generation and protection of original intellectual properties, encourage interactions with the clinical services at the local medical center, and identify, mentor, and retain talented clinician-scientists dedicated to improving Veterans health. APT Investigators secure significant independent support from multiple local, national, governmental, and private agencies, including major awards from NIH, DARPA, NSF, and DoD, in addition to Merit Review and other VA funding, and disseminate their findings broadly in prestigious peer-reviewed journals, clinical and scientific meetings, and the lay media. The Center also empanels Clinical and Industrial Advisory Boards, and other mechanisms of governance and program evaluation that include representatives from Veterans Service Organizations, to actively create productive collaborations with academic and commercial partners. The Center established LSCVAMC as a site in the VA Innovator’s Network, and receives Spark, Seed, and Spread level funding to facilitate sharing its developments with other VA Medical Centers. An internal pilot funding program also selects and supports promising studies that have the potential to ultimately lead to independent funding and commercial translation of projects important to disabled Veterans. Priorities for the coming five years include: 1) Transitioning wireless bladder pressure monitoring, adaptive electrotherapeutic devices into humans, and microfluidic artificial lungs into large animal trials, 2) Deploying new, fully implanted systems for advanced sensorimotor enabled robotic upper limb prostheses and restoring plantar pressure sensation to trans-femoral amputees, 3) Addressing phantom pain in amputees and normalizing sensation in Veterans with diabetic neuropathies, 4) Exploring personalized game-based vestibular rehabilitation and enhancing access to adapted exercise, 5) Prolonging the functionality of cortical recording electrodes for brain computer interfaces and enhancing recovery from toxic brain injury by mitigating inflammatory responses, and 6) Expanding outreach, Veteran engagement, and capacity building activities.