Project Grant R41DC020869
- This $631,703 federal Project Grant award from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) under the Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders program (CFDA 93.173) aims to investigate the use of muscle progenitor (stem) cells for treating vocal fold paralysis. The research project, conducted by The Washington University, will test the effectiveness of implanting these cells into the laryngeal muscles of canine models to improve nerve recovery...
- This Project Grant award from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), under the federal grant program "Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders" (CFDA 93.173), provides $633,694 to North Carolina State University to develop a non-invasive treatment strategy using a vocal fold lamina propria extract (VFLPX) to address vocal fold scarring and laryngotracheal injuries. The key objectives are to: 1) conduct detailed investigations...
- This Project Grant award from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), under the federal Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders program (CFDA 93.173), provides $277,810 to Femtovox Inc. to develop an image-guided automated ultrafast laser device for laryngeal (voice box) surgery. The key objectives are to demonstrate the superior ability of ultrafast lasers to minimize collateral damage in laryngeal tissue, characterize laser-based...
- The federal Project Grant award of $340,417 from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) under the Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders program (CFDA 93.173) will fund research to evaluate the clinical efficacy of local translaryngeal vibration therapy (LTLV) as a concurrent treatment approach with flow phonation voice therapy for patients with muscle tension dysphonia, a common voice disorder. The research aims to determine the optimal...
- This Phase I Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) project, awarded by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) under the Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders program (CFDA 93.173), aims to develop a novel endovascular medical device called PHONOCATH to objectively evaluate pulsatile tinnitus. The $610,394 grant, awarded to VDF Industries in collaboration with the University of California, San Francisco, will fund the design and...
- This federal Project Grant award from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), under the Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders program (CFDA 93.173), provides $570,473.00 to Emory University for research on objective diagnostic measures to distinguish between adductor laryngeal dystonia (ADLD) and primary muscle tension dysphonia (PMTD). The key research objectives are to: 1) Investigate the underlying physiology of creak, a vocal...
- This Project Grant award from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), under the Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders program (CFDA 93.173), will support research to investigate vocal dysfunction and vagally mediated brainstem pathology in the prodromal stage of Parkinson's disease. The $126,442 award to the University of Wisconsin - Madison will fund a study using a rat model with a PINK1 gene knockout to evaluate differences in vocal,...
- The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a $274,841 Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (CFDA 47.084) Project Grant to XN Health Inc. on July 15, 2025 to develop a novel transtracheal phrenic nerve stimulation device. This device aims to reduce lung and diaphragm injuries caused by mechanical ventilation, which affects an estimated 1.2 million Americans annually. The project will optimize stimulation parameters, develop an automated algorithm, and validate the system for chronic use in...
- This $947,128 federal Project Grant award from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), under the Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders program (CFDA 93.173), is funding research to optimize voice therapy for individuals with hyperfunctional voice disorders. The primary goal is to enhance long-term communication outcomes by evaluating a novel non-hierarchical voice therapy approach called Conversation Training Therapy (CTT), which focuses...
- This $600,000 project grant was awarded by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) under the federal Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders program (CFDA 93.173). The grant, awarded to Northwestern University on September 18, 2025, will establish the validity of a vocal demand task outcome measure to assess vocal muscle strength capacity in older adults with presbyphonia (age-related voice changes). The project aims to determine if measuring...
CLOSED-LOOP LARYNGEAL PACING FOR VOICE RESTORATION - PROJECT SUMMARY AND ABSTRACT THE MOST COMMON NEUROGENIC VOICE DISORDER IS UNILATERAL VOCAL FOLD PARALYSIS (UVFP), WHICH CAN SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCE QUALITY OF LIFE. CURRENT AVAILABLE SURGICAL TREATMENTS OFFER ONLY TEMPORARY IMPROVEMENT IN VOICE THROUGH PLACEMENT OF RESORBABLE MATERIALS OR INVOLVE PERMANENT, INVASIVE ALTERATION OF THE LARYNX THAT INCOMPLETELY RESTORES VOICE AND OFTEN REQUIRES REVISION SURGERIES. THERE IS LIMITED ACCESS TO ADVANCED SURGICAL PROCEDURES WITH MODERATELY BETTER OUTCOMES DUE TO THE NEED FOR SPECIALIZED SURGICAL TECHNIQUES AND AN INCREASED RISK OF INVASIVE PROCEDURES. FUNCTIONAL ELECTRICAL STIMULATION (FES) HAS THE POTENTIAL TO RESTORE DYNAMIC VOCAL FOLD (VF) CLOSURE (ADDUCTION), IMPROVING VOICE AND AIRWAY PROTECTIVE OUTCOMES FOR THE UVFP PATIENT POPULATION. LARYNGEAL ELECTROMYOGRAPHY (LEMG) STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT ABOUT 85% OF THOSE WITH CHRONIC UVFP DO NOT HAVE COMPLETE VF DENERVATION, OPENING THE DOOR TO LOW-INTENSITY CLOSED-LOOP FES TO REANIMATE PARALYZED VFS. SEVERAL STUDIES HAVE INDEED SHOWN THAT LARYNGEAL MUSCLES WITH SYNKINETIC REINNERVATION CAN BE EFFECTIVELY STIMULATED OR "PACED" TO RESTORE DYNAMIC VF OPENING (ABDUCTION). HOWEVER, LARYNGEAL PACING DEVICES TO DATE HAVE ONLY STIMULATED VF ABDUCTION TO FACILITATE BREATHING AND HAVE ONLY USED PRESET PATTERNS OF STIMULATION (OPEN-LOOP CONTROL) RATHER THAN SENSING AND RESPONDING TO THE PHYSIOLOGICAL NEEDS OF THE INDIVIDUAL (CLOSED-LOOP CONTROL). HEREIN WE DESCRIBE A NOVEL CLOSED-LOOP LARYNGEAL FES SYSTEM FOR REANIMATION OF VF CLOSURE (ADDUCTION) TO TREAT UVFP. THE PROPOSED SYSTEM BUILDS UPON PROVEN APPROACHES FOR IMPLANT DEVICES AND FES, YET INCLUDES MULTIPLE KEY INNOVATIVE ELEMENTS, AND WILL CREATE AN ENTIRELY NEW MEDICAL DEVICE TAILORED FOR REANIMATION OF PARALYZED VF ADDUCTION TO SUPPORT VOICE AND AIRWAY PROTECTION.
Mod # | Description | ReasonForModification | Federal Obligation | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not listed | $0 | 7/18/25 | ||
| Not listed | $382.4k | 7/6/23 |