Aculight Awarded SBIR Contract

Aculight of Bothell, Wash., an innovative laser technologies developer, has been granted a $125,000 Phase I award from the National Institutes of Health to develop handheld laser-based nerve simulators for use by ear, nose and throat specialists to identify cranial nerves during surgery. Contracted under the federal Small Business Innovation Research program, the simulator will use infrared nerve simulation to help surgeons avoid nerve damage that sometimes occurs during medical procedures. The company plans to develop a compact probe to give surgeons real-time feedback of cranial nerve function during surgical procedures to reduce the risk of nerve damage and functional loss.