The organizations came together in person to share progress on 17 new wearable therapeutic technologies developed by the group.
Seventeen wearable and textile-based health technologies, including smart socks, sensor-equipped furniture and FES-powered rehabilitation pants, were showcased on July 31 as UHN’s KITE Research Institute, Vee Technologies and the SONA College of Technology met in person.
They celebrated the five-year anniversary of the partnership between SONA College of Technology, Vee Technologies, a technology services firm, and KITE. Both the SONA College of Technology and Vee Technologies are affiliate members of the SONA Group of Companies, which is based in India and includes technology research, design, engineering and commercialization. The unique international partnership combines clinical research, engineering and manufacturing expertise focused on health wearables embedded in fabrics and clothing.
"The collaboration has generated 17 technologies, which are in various stages, from technological development to clinical trials,” says Dr. Sophia Yue Li, a Staff Scientist and Strategic Partnerships Manager at UHN's KITE Research Institute. “Most recently, we’re excited to have three new projects added that received funding through UHN's Canada Leads program.”
The innovations include an assistive sleeve that enables people with disabilities to control technology, smart furniture that senses heart rate and other physiological signals, sensors that detect drowsiness in drivers, socks with hidden pressure sensors that may help prevent diabetic foot ulcers, and pants with embedded functional electrical stimulation (FES) to help people recovering from spinal cord injuries or strokes walk again.
The partnership between the three organizations began during the COVID-19 pandemic, which made in-person meetings difficult. As a result, the July 31 event was the first opportunity for professors from SONA to meet with Canadian researchers face-to-face and see the breadth of work that has emerged from the collaboration. Among those attending were Dr. Milos R. Popovic, Director of KITE, Chocko Valliappa, Chief Executive Officer of Vee Technologies,
"This international partnership has been incredibly valuable," says Dr. Azadeh Yadollahi, Director, Fabric Based Research Platform (FIBRE). "It has allowed us to combine our strengths and move faster towards our common goals of finding new ways to help people recover faster from injuries and improve their quality of life. We have accomplished so much in the past five years, and I am excited to see what we will do in the next few years together."