WIN Generates New Partnership to Give Voice to Those With Cerebral Palsy and Spinal Cord Injuries

The Business Council of Westchester’s Westchester Innovation Network (WIN) has facilitated an exciting new partnership between Laronix and the prestigious Burke Neurological Institute, based in White Plains. Laronix, a MedTech company with operations in Australia and Westchester, is collaborating with Burke Neurological Institute on a year-long study of its breakthrough Bionic Voice technology designed to enhance vocal communication.

Speech is a fundamental mode of expression and connection. Yet, for individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) or spinal cord injury (SCI), communicating effectively can be profoundly challenging. Up to 90% of individuals with CP experience difficulties in speech and voice, and  those with SCI also frequently encounter significant communication impairments.

Traditionally, communication solutions for these conditions have been limited to text-to-speech devices or outdated technologies producing robotic voices. Laronix has developed breakthrough Bionic Voice technology: a smart, non-invasive device that promises to transform communication for individuals with CP and SCI. This technology mimics human vocal folds, generating a personalized voice, offering markedly superior communication quality compared to existing devices.

Facilitated by WIN, which aims to integrate innovative solutions with local organizations for testing and adoption, the collaboration between Laronix and Burke Neurological Institute is supervised by Kathleen Friel, PhD, Associate Professor of Neuroscience. Dr. Friel, who leads a lab at BNI focused on improving function in people with CP, offers both professional expertise and personal insight as someone with a speech impairment caused by CP. She will oversee the study evaluating Laronix’s Bionic Voice device among individuals living with CP or SCI.

Representing Laronix in this endeavor is co-founder Mousa Ahmadi, PhD.

Given that approximately 3,000 individuals in Westchester County are affected by CP or SCI, this initiative holds immense potential to significantly improve the quality of life for many in our community.

For more information about the project and to hear the impact of Laronix’s technology, visit:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4n4gNfJv54I

Can Your Business Benefit from BCW WIN?

The Business Council of Westchester is committed to helping entrepreneurs bring their ideas to life through the support of its diverse business ecosystem in Westchester County through its BCW WIN initiative. Its network is composed of small and mid-sized companies, professional services firms, and non-profits along with several of the best-known brands in the world like IBM, Pepsico, MasterCard, Heineken, Danone, Morgan Stanley, and Regeneron. It also includes some of the largest hospitals and healthcare systems in the world and many colleges and universities.