Launch Blue Announces Third UAccel Cohort
August 30, 2021
Launch Blue is pleased to announce the Fall 2021 UAccel University Technology Commercialization Focused Cohort. Thirteen technologies from Kentucky universities were selected to participate in the 12-week UAccel program.
UAccel is a Launch Blue cohort organized in partnership with the University of Kentucky Office of Technology Commercialization and Kentucky Commercialization Ventures. The program is designed to offer professional development and an experiential learning opportunity to innovators in higher education interested in learning the best commercialization path for their technology. The goal of the program is to advance the technology toward commercialization, including preparations for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant applications, the creation of a startup, or licensing of the technology.
Candidates were selected through a competitive application and interview process. The final selections for the cohort were determined by a selection committee appointed by the organizing partners. Applications for the Spring 2022 UAccel cohort will open in November 2021.
Participants in the Fall 2021 Cohort are:
Fazleena Badurdeen, PhD,
Professor of Mechanical Engineering/Director of Manufacturing Systems Engineering
Tony Elam, Principal, Elam Consulting, Retired Assoc. Director, Center for Computational Sciences, University of Kentucky
John Meister, Studio Director, Super Soul
A single- and multi-player virtual game involving a multi-station production line that can be transformed into a just-in-time manufacturing system by applying lean tools and techniques. The innovation will offer a versatile, cost-effective, and easy-to-use tool to increase student engagement and effectively teach lean concepts in the online environment and also complement in-person learning.
John Blair, MSCS, Kentucky State University;
Software Project Manager, Demand Dogs
A platform to address data management inefficiencies in State agency daily operations, focusing is the centralization of data, forms, and reports while streamlining the most common tasks. The goal is to significantly reduce the time of data management and research tasks, allowing agents greater opportunity to perform other critical job functions.
Lance Bollinger, PhD, CEP, University of Kentucky
A novel app for mobile and wearable devices to track motion during resistance training. The clinical goals are to optimize adaptations to exercise and limit risk of acute injury and overtraining.
DeShana Collett, PhD, PA-C, Professor, Department of Physician Assistant Studies, College of Health Sciences, University of Kentucky
Samuel Powdrill, MPHIL, PA-C, Professor, Professor Emeritus, College of Health Sciences, University of Kentucky
The MedSkin artificial skin was created to address the problem with the lack of realistic, anatomically accurate low-fidelity task medical trainers that are also multifunctional, durable, portable, and reusable.
Mark Fritz, MD, Assistant Professor in Otolaryngology, University of Kentucky
Guigen Zhang, PhD, Professor, F. Joseph Halcomb III, M.D. Endowed Chair, Department Chair, College of Engineering, University of Kentucky
Surgeons and endoscopists encounter bleeding frequently during endoscopic operations costing time, money, and even the success of the operation itself. This medical device will revolutionize the level of bleeding regulation during these procedures to bring control back into the hands of the physician.
Angela Gutierrez, PhD, Senior Scientist 1 at Bluegrass Advanced Materials; University of Kentucky Superfund Research Center Liaison
Bluegrass Advanced Materials’ smart polymer flocculant technology is a low-energy, low-cost, and easy-to-use separation platform that can remove soluble species from a variety of solutions. One of the first applications is for water treatment and remediation of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from contaminated water or sludges. We are currently expanding the flocculant platform for eye/nose/mouth removal or acute exposures, like pepper spray, allergens, among others.
Jameson Hunter, Graduate Research Assistant, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, University of Kentucky
Hydrophobic natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) are a cheap, non-toxic, and easy to synthesize class of solvent that has shown to be effective in extracting micro-and nano-plastic particles from water. This could be utilized by micro-and nano-plastic researchers to detect plastic in water samples more efficiently or to separate plastic from other contaminants.
Bradley Irvin, Associate Research Scientist, Principal Investigator, University of Kentucky
Acoustic driven packing material can increase the absorption rate of liquid-gas chemical absorption process, such as CO2 capture, by up to 40 percent. This can substantially reduce the initial capital costs of certain chemical processes and make the adoption of CO2 capture technologies more feasible for affected industries.
Aardra Kachroo, PhD, Professor, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Kentucky
Technology targeted toward disease management in crop and horticulturally important crops. This chemical-free technology will enhance plant tolerance to a wide array of microbial diseases while minimizing environmental, human health, and regulatory concerns. The technology will lower production costs and impact the US agricultural economy.
Rollie Mills, PhD Researcher in Dr. Dibakar Bhattacharyya’s Lab, University of Kentucky
The current COVID-19 pandemic has brought health, economic, and social difficulties to all communities of the world. While existing commercial respiratory face masks do exist, such as N95 masks, their protection is not absolute and there exists an immense need for technological improvement. This technology allows for the development of an individual face mask with greater virus particle filtration efficiency and less skin irritation from use than existing products while having the ability to deactivate virus particles that encounter the mask, furthering the protection of the individual from infection.
Javier Neyra, MD, MCMS, Associate Professor of Medicine; Director, Critical Care Nephrology at the University of Kentucky Medical Center
An interactive platform for extraction, harmonization, management, and utilization of big data from electronic health records and dialysis devices to improve the quality and delivery of dialysis in critically ill patients admitted to intensive care units.
Paul Rodgers, Lecturer, University of Kentucky
The rapidly growing number of telecommuters around the globe are in essence now obligated to bring pets to the office. During these hours, pets often vie for attention. To help solve the spatial limitations of the home office, this invention—a compact, cushioned side seat attachment for office chairs—provides a comfortable, designated location for a cat or small breed dog to occupy, at arm’s reach yet outside the view of the web camera, so that tasks can be performed efficiently and in a distraction-free context.
Chang-Guo Zhan, PhD, Endowed College of Pharmacy Professor in Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kentucky
Therapeutic for postoperative pain management and inflammatory disease.