Medical Alley, Minn. – 5 January 2021

Radwave Technologies, Inc. announced it was awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I grant for $256,000 to conduct research and development (R&D) work on an electromagnetic navigation system for surgical interventions and medical robotics.

The surgical market is rapidly shifting to minimally invasive surgeries (MIS) and robotic procedures, which are associated with faster recovery, shorter hospital stays, fewer complications, and lower overall costs. Electromagnetic navigation systems are widely used in these procedures to track medical instruments, providing knowledge of locations and orientations when the instruments are out of the “line of sight”. However, current electromagnetic tracking systems have fixed and limited tracking volumes, are incompatible with imaging equipment, and become inaccurate in the presence of fluoroscopes and robotic arms, which are frequently used in today’s surgical procedures.

Radwave Technologies, Inc. is developing an electromagnetic tracking system that can accurately track medical instruments over the entire patient’s body, is compatible with modern imaging equipment, and can detect and correct electromagnetic interference in real-time. 

“We founded the company with the vision of developing an electromagnetic tracking system that can meet the demands of advanced minimally invasive procedures and robotic surgeries,” says Lev Koyrakh, Chief Technology Officer, President, and Principal Investigator. “This SBIR grant will help us realize our vision and bring this technology to market faster.” 

“This award further validates the growing need for a more accurate and flexible navigation system that can be deployed in various surgical procedures, and recognizes the potential of our technology to significantly impact the MIS & robotic surgery market,” says Andrew Brown, CEO. “Thanks to this grant, we can accelerate our development timeline, and bring to market a system that will further improve the accuracy and reliability of minimally invasive surgeries. Our ultimate goal is to create a system that can improve patient outcomes, while at the same time, reduce patient and medical staff exposure to harmful radiation.” 

This research is supported by the National Science Foundation Small Business Innovation Research Program Phase I under Award Number 2034987 titled “Modular and Reconfigurable Electromagnetic Navigation System for Surgical Interventions and Medical Robotics.” We thank the Minnesota SBIR/STTR Accelerator and Pat Dillon, Director, for being instrumental in helping Radwave create a successful NSF application.

About the NSF’s Small Business Programs

America’s Seed Fund powered by NSF awards $200 million annually to startups and small businesses, transforming scientific discovery into products and services with commercial and societal impact. Startups working across almost all areas of science and technology can receive up to $1.75 million to support R&D, helping de-risk technology for commercial success. America’s Seed Fund is congressionally mandated through the SBIR program. The NSF is an independent federal agency with a budget of about $8.1 billion that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering. For more information, visit seedfund.nsf.gov 

About Radwave Technologies Inc.

Radwave Technologies Inc. is a technology company that develops and manufactures electromagnetic-based tracking systems for use in biomedical and other applications. The company’s patented modular platform is accurate, precise, and can be easily customized to meet customer’s exact specifications.

The company was founded in 2018, and is based in St. Paul, MN.

For more information, visit www.radwavetech.com