KNoW Biological selected among top 100 R&D innovators globally in 2023
Atlanta-based firm wins “The Oscar of Innovation” from R&D World
Atlanta -- KNoW Biological has been selected by R&D World magazine as one of the top 100 innovators globally in 2023. Known as the “Oscar of Innovation,” the R&D 100 Awards have served as a prestigious innovation awards program for the past 60 years, honoring great R&D pioneers and their revolutionary ideas in science and technology. The award will be presented to KNoW November 16 at a gala event in San Diego.
KNoW was recognized in the Analytical/Test category for its pre-symptomatic volatile organic compound (VOC) detector. KNoW is working with Sandia National Laboratories to develop a wearable monitor that can detect seizures before they happen in people who have epilepsy. Worldwide, there are nearly 65 million people with epilepsy, and nearly 4 million in the U.S. alone. Epilepsy is characterized by recurring periods of abnormal or excessive electrical discharges in the brain that result in seizures. One-third of epilepsy patients experience seizures that cannot be controlled with medication or medical intervention.
KNoW CEO and founder Gary Arnold expressed satisfaction with the award: “We believe the VOC detector we’ve developed will be life-changing for people with epilepsy, giving them the ability to forecast an impending seizure twenty minutes or more before it occurs. For people who have epilepsy, knowing in advance they will have a seizure gives time to take medication that can potentially prevent most seizures or, at the very least, allow the opportunity to get somewhere safe and private.”
Using their work with seizure-alert dogs, KNoW and a team of epilepsy experts were able to identify the presence of several key volatile organic compounds that are unique to seizures. These VOCs start building in concentration just prior to seizure onset.
Partnering with Sandia, the team began work developing a miniaturized detection system, sensitive enough to detect even minute amounts of VOC gases. The three-stage detection process starts with a patch about the size of a large watch face, with a thin film of synthetic material that captures VOCs from the user’s skin. The collected chemicals are separated using gas chromatography and then identified using miniature ion mobility spectrometer technology.
The team has developed a wearable prototype, called the VoLI, that can collect and analyze samples throughout the day. Previous monitoring of this kind was only possible using copy machine-size devices. Beta testing on the multi-patented wearable is expected to begin soon with hopes of having the sensor on the market in late 2024.
KNoW Biological offers a pioneering new approach to self-health monitoring. It makes a wearable monitor that can alert people who have epilepsy to seizures before they happen. This critical early warning allows a user time to prepare for the vulnerabilities caused by a seizure by getting somewhere safe and communicating with family, friends, or healthcare providers. www.knowmonitors.com
__________________________________________________________________________________
Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-mission laboratory operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. Sandia Labs has major research and development responsibilities in nuclear deterrence, global security, defense, energy technologies and economic competitiveness, with main facilities in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Livermore, California.
KNoW Biological news media contact: Sharon Polk, spolk@redfolderconsulting.com; 913-221-5834