IpsiHand stroke-recovery device named product of year by science society

Multidisciplinary Washington University research led to device’s development. The IpsiHand, an innovative stroke-recovery device that helps stroke patients recover significant arm and hand function by retraining their brains, has received the 2021 Pantheon Product of the Year Award from California Life Sciences. The organization advocates for the state’s life sciences sector and its innovation pipeline by supporting companies of all sizes, from early-stage innovators and startups to established industry leaders in the fields of biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and medical technology. Developed by Neurolutions Inc. — a Washington University in St. Louis startup company — the IpsiHand Upper Extremity Rehabilitation System leverages brain-computer interface (BCI) technology licensed from the university. Neurolutions is based in Santa Cruz, Calif., and St. Louis. The device received market authorization from the Food and Drug Administration in April 2021. The underlying BCI technology was spearheaded by Eric Leuthardt, MD, a professor of neurosurgery at Washington University School of Medicine. He cofounded Neurolutions in 2007 with Daniel Moran, PhD, a professor of biomedical engineering at the university’s McKelvey School of Engineering, to further develop the technology.