In addition to providing world-class care for people living with neurological injuries and conditions, Shepherd Center also has a robust research and innovation program that aims to push the boundaries of what’s possible, improving the quality of life for people with disabilities at Shepherd and beyond. Hitesh Mehta, M.D., M.Tech, Ph.D., joined Shepherd Center in the spring as director of innovation and translation. We talked to him about fostering innovation at Shepherd and what drew him to the role.

What is your role at Shepherd Center?

My role is to take technologies and bring them to patients. Now, that could be technologies that we are building in-house here from our research, or from our clinicians who are thinking differently, or our patients as well. … And it's not only technology, it could be small things like changes to workflow. My role is to see that and see if we can bring it, not just to Shepherd Center, but to others as well — to see how you can make it more adopted worldwide. So that is a key role, but there's also an element in the other direction, which is, if there are technologies that have been developed for other reasons, can we bring them into rehabilitation and use them for our patients to help them.

What made you want to work at Shepherd Center?

Time is of the essence in rehab medicine. And Shepherd does it so well that they bring patients while in the ICU. So, that's kind of what got me — it’s the only hospital that brings patients early on in the ICU and helps patients [through early rehabilitation]. And innovation is about timing … taking that little extra effort while there are so many unknowns and doing it early on.  

Your title is director of innovation and translation. Tell us about how you define innovation.

An idea is a “what-if” condition, an abstract thought. It's a concept. … An invention is when you enable it, you create a prototype or a solution, a method where now that “what if” is “what.” It is an asset. Someone can replicate or reproduce it and see it work. … But innovation is really the acceptance of it in the market where you have scaled it, the doctors, the hospitals are using it. … It has become an ecosystem. There is competition growing along with it.

Sometimes commercialization is frowned upon because you're trying to make it revenue-generating. But that is what drives technologies into systems. If you make it free, no one gets interested, and it doesn't actually get implemented or scaled. So, we do need to realize that part: innovation needs some level of support from the capitalist side of the system [to increase its chances of being implemented.]

What is the process of moving from idea to innovation?

Going from an idea to innovation has a lot of unknowns. These unknowns bring in risk, so it is inherently risky. And these risks cannot be removed. So, what do you do? To overcome the risk, you have to treat innovation as a process. And what that means really is you want to fail fast and build the right mindset. So, if you fail fast and you have the right mindset, you can innovate again and again or create new technologies as you move forward. … It’s not an inbuilt talent; it’s something that you can learn and do, a skill you can adopt … if you treat it as a process.  

How does the innovation program support innovation at Shepherd Center?

In three ways: we are a catalyst, a connector, and a facilitator. A catalyst, in the sense that if you have the idea, we can work with you to refine what that opportunity is, understand what the feasibility is, and create the solution to move forward. As a connector, if we identify those risks, can we get experts to help us overcome those risks? Maybe it's clinical, operational, regulatory, whoever that expert is, can he or she help us in facilitating from that idea to innovation? And finally, as a facilitator, it means getting the financial resources … guiding you through that end journey. … which can be a license or a startup. So, help in those parts. Innovation is actually an adoption. It could be in the form that it gets adopted here in the hospital itself, or outside the hospital. ... So, we want to broaden the scope, not just in research, but other places and implement it in clinical paths.

What are you most excited about in your new role?

I like technology, tinkering, and doing it. So, I like playing, and that's what is most exciting, bringing these different, out-of-this-world solutions. … I think that's the cool part — having these technologies and being able to play with them, and ... being able to get them here at Shepherd to help our patients.

What is the most fulfilling part of your role?

I [trained as] a physician academically, then I got into engineering. The goal was to help more patients, and how could I help do more, versus treating one patient at a time? So that's why I went into research and engineering. … The fulfilling part is helping patients, seeing them improve in whichever way [they] can.

Education: 

Hitesh Mehta possesses a rare interdisciplinary background bridging medicine and advanced engineering. He earned his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (M.B.B.S.) — equivalent to a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) and license as a family physician from Seth G.S. Medical College, Mumbai, India. He then completed a Master of Technology (M.Tech.) in Biomedical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, followed by a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Minnesota.

Fun Facts:

• Dr. Mehta has four siblings who live in various countries around the world.
• He and his wife, Vandana Ranka, recently moved from Cleveland to Atlanta.
• He likes to snow ski.
• Dr. Mehta likes to travel, and now that he lives in Atlanta (a gateway to the world), he’d like to travel south of the equator.

Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

Interview by Ruth Underwood

VALENCIA, Calif., April 30, 2026 – SetPoint Medical, a medical technology company dedicated to improving care for people living with chronic autoimmune diseases, today announced that it has initiated enrollment in the pilot clinical study evaluating Setpoint System® as a potential pro-remyelination therapy for adults living with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The study received Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to evaluate SetPoint Medical’s proprietary neuroimmune modulation device. Additionally, the neuroimmune modulation device has received Breakthrough Device Designation and was accepted into the Total Product Life Cycle (TPCL) Advisory Program (TAP) by the FDA.

The primary purpose of this multicenter, randomized, sham-controlled, double-blind pilot study is to assess the safety and remyelinating effects of the SetPoint System as an adjunct to standard-of-care disease-modifying therapy (DMT) in adults with RRMS. The SetPoint System contains a miniaturized neurostimulator that is surgically implanted on the left vagus nerve and delivers electric stimulation to the nerve for one minute, once per day. The study will enroll up to 60 participants across the United States, with primary outcomes assessed at one year.

The study has enrolled patients at Shepherd Center’s Andrew C. Carlos Multiple Sclerosis Institute in Atlanta and UW Medicine Multiple Sclerosis Center in Seattle. Other centers participating in the study include Minnesota Center for Multiple Sclerosis in Plymouth, Minnesota; West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia; Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore; UT Medicine Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology Center in Austin, Texas; and University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston.

“Remyelination is one of the most critical yet unmet clinical needs in the treatment of multiple sclerosis,” said Jacqueline Rosenthal, M.D., medical director of the MS Institute and principal investigator of the study at Shepherd Center, where the first patient was enrolled. “While current therapies focus largely on suppressing inflammation, restoring the damaged myelin sheath is essential for preserving neuronal function and preventing long-term disability. Neuroimmune modulation is hypothesized to recalibrate immune activity while supporting the conditions necessary for myelin repair, and offers an innovative avenue to evaluate whether meaningful remyelination can be achieved in patients living with MS.”

Multiple sclerosis affects nearly one million people in the United States and is an autoimmune disorder that damages the myelin sheath — the protective layer surrounding nerve fibers — disrupting signals between the brain and other parts of the body.

“Reaching this milestone of implanting the first patients in this RRMS pilot study is a meaningful step forward for us,” said David Chernoff, M.D., chief medical officer of SetPoint Medical. “Our approach to activating the body’s innate neuroimmune pathways offers a compelling and novel mechanism that could complement current standards of care of multiple sclerosis. We are deeply grateful to the investigators and patients participating in this study.”

For more information about the RRMS pilot study, visit clinicaltrials.gov (NCT06796504).

About SetPoint System
The SetPoint System is indicated for use in the treatment of adult patients with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who have had an inadequate response, loss of response, or intolerance to one or more biological or targeted synthetic disease modifying antirheumatic drugs. The use of SetPoint System for the treatment of multiple sclerosis is not approved, is considered investigational, and its safety and effectiveness for this indication have not been established. For full safety information, please see Instructions for Use and our Important Safety Information at spm.care/ISI.  Individual results may vary.

About SetPoint Medical
SetPoint Medical is a commercial-stage medical technology company dedicated to improving care for people living with chronic autoimmune diseases. The company’s FDA-approved SetPoint System is the first neuroimmune modulation therapy available for people living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), offering a novel, device-based alternative for those who do not respond to or cannot tolerate biologic or targeted drug therapies. SetPoint’s proprietary integrated neurostimulation platform is designed to activate innate anti-inflammatory pathways in the vagus nerve to reduce inflammation and restore immunologic setpoint. With a vision to redefine the care of autoimmune conditions, SetPoint is also planning to evaluate its platform technology for other conditions including multiple sclerosis and Crohn’s disease. Learn more at setpointmedical.com.

Dr. Jacqueline Rosenthal is a study investigator for SetPoint Medical and has not been compensated in connection with this press release.

Brandon grew up in Johns Creek, Georgia, just outside Atlanta. As a child, he dreamed of being a professional motocross rider. He traveled for motocross competitions and even switched to home-schooling to allow more flexibility and time to focus on the sport. But when he was 14, he sustained a T-7-T-8 spinal cord injury in a crash at a motocross event in Tennessee, which resulted in paralysis from his chest down.

After spending time in a hospital in Memphis, Brandon transferred to Shepherd Center for rehabilitation, but as soon as he arrived, he wanted to leave.

“I couldn't wait to get out of there at first. I had been hurt racing motocross plenty of times, which helped me wrap my head around the injury,” he recalls. “But my time at Shepherd was great. My therapists were amazing, and as soon as I got home, I missed Shepherd Center. Everything was so easy and accessible there.”  

As Brandon returned to life as an active teenager, including re-connecting with his motocross community, he realized that finding accessible parking spaces, bathrooms, restaurants, and venues could be challenging.

“I felt like a burden to the people I was traveling with. We’d go someplace, and I either couldn't get in, or I couldn't access the bathroom, and I’d have to go home, or we'd have to try someplace new. I felt like it was my fault,” he says. “For somebody who's adventurous and likes to do new things, I got tired of going places and not knowing if I'd be able to access those new things. So that was the catalyst for my idea,” he explains.

The idea that Brandon is referring to is his brainchild and now business — where he focuses much of his attention and energy — a mobile app called iAccess Life. The app uses crowdsourcing to collect information about accessibility at restaurants, stores, and other venues in cities across the United States and worldwide. Users can rate a venue’s parking, entrance, interior, and bathroom accessibility and have the option to leave a review as well.

“I wanted you to open the app and feel like everybody else looking for a place to have dinner, drinks, coffee, or go shopping. Whatever you wanted to do, I wanted to find a way for people to leave feedback on their experience and then hopefully travel confidently as we gather more ratings and feedback from people in the application,” he says.

“I hope the app will help people like the patients I met while I was at Shepherd. They are adjusting to life after injury. After I was injured, I knew I wanted to move on and just keep living, but that can be hard for some people to imagine. So, I wanted to build an app to encourage people who want to go somewhere new or try something new and offer that security and that belief that they can do it — and that there’s an easier way,” Brandon explains.

Of course, it wasn’t a straight line from idea to app. Along the way, Brandon got into competitive go-kart racing, which included traveling and filming for a TV show featuring his experience, “Dreams to Champions,” that aired on Fox Sports 1. He also worked in information technology (IT), including quality assurance testing for websites and mobile apps. He eventually met Sayeed Mehrjerdian, now iAccess Life co-founder and head of product, who helped him develop the app and raise funding.

In 2019, they launched the app and are working on building their user base so the app will have more reviews of more places. They also want to expand the breadth of the app to address accessibility for people with a broader range of disabilities. They recently launched a product to allow for feedback on accessibility issues by scanning a QR code on a sign. They hope to provide input to restaurants, retail spaces, and sports venues on ways they can improve accessibility. Their first big client? Zoo Atlanta.

“You’ll see signs with the iAccess Life logo, and you can share feedback on your experience in that area, your experience at concessions…feedback on how the venue can improve, essentially,” Brandon explains.

Brandon lives the life of an entrepreneur — always with his eye on what is next — and works to support other start-ups through his role at Atlanta Tech Village, managing the pre-accelerator program, a four-month program designed to help underrepresented tech entrepreneurs get their products to market.

Through every venture, Brandon recognizes his experience at Shepherd as one of the major influences in his life.

“After getting back into normal life and meeting other wheelchair users who didn't get to go to Shepherd, I got to see the quality of life that I have because of the therapy and education I got there,” he says. “I feel like I graduated from the Ivy League of rehabilitation. I'm forever grateful for Shepherd because it made me who I am today. It made me feel comfortable being in a wheelchair.”
 

Written by Ruth Underwood

Brandon grew up in Johns Creek, Georgia, just outside Atlanta. As a child, he dreamed of being a professional motocross rider. He traveled for motocross competitions and even switched to home-schooling to allow more flexibility and time to focus on the sport. But when he was 14, he sustained a T-7-T-8 spinal cord injury in a crash at a motocross event in Tennessee, which resulted in paralysis from his chest down.

After spending time in a hospital in Memphis, Brandon transferred to Shepherd Center for rehabilitation, but as soon as he arrived, he wanted to leave.

“I couldn't wait to get out of there at first. I had been hurt racing motocross plenty of times, which helped me wrap my head around the injury,” he recalls. “But my time at Shepherd was great. My therapists were amazing, and as soon as I got home, I missed Shepherd Center. Everything was so easy and accessible there.”  

As Brandon returned to life as an active teenager, including re-connecting with his motocross community, he realized that finding accessible parking spaces, bathrooms, restaurants, and venues could be challenging.

“I felt like a burden to the people I was traveling with. We’d go someplace, and I either couldn't get in, or I couldn't access the bathroom, and I’d have to go home, or we'd have to try someplace new. I felt like it was my fault,” he says. “For somebody who's adventurous and likes to do new things, I got tired of going places and not knowing if I'd be able to access those new things. So that was the catalyst for my idea,” he explains.

The idea that Brandon is referring to is his brainchild and now business — where he focuses much of his attention and energy — a mobile app called iAccess Life. The app uses crowdsourcing to collect information about accessibility at restaurants, stores, and other venues in cities across the United States and worldwide. Users can rate a venue’s parking, entrance, interior, and bathroom accessibility and have the option to leave a review as well.

“I wanted you to open the app and feel like everybody else looking for a place to have dinner, drinks, coffee, or go shopping. Whatever you wanted to do, I wanted to find a way for people to leave feedback on their experience and then hopefully travel confidently as we gather more ratings and feedback from people in the application,” he says.

Of course, it wasn’t a straight line from idea to app. Along the way, Brandon got into competitive go-kart racing, which included traveling and filming for a TV show featuring his experience, “Dreams to Champions,” that aired on Fox Sports 1. He also worked in information technology (IT), including quality assurance testing for websites and mobile apps. He eventually met Sayeed Mehrjerdian, now iAccess Life co-founder and head of product, who helped him develop the app and raise funding.

In 2019, they launched the app and are working on building their user base so the app will have more reviews of more places. They also want to expand the breadth of the app to address accessibility for people with a broader range of disabilities. They recently launched a product in partnership with a parking company to allow for feedback on accessibility issues by scanning a QR code on a street sign. They hope to provide restaurants, retail spaces, and sports venues input on ways they can improve accessibility.

Brandon lives the life of an entrepreneur — always with his eye on what is next — and works to support other start-ups through his role at Atlanta Tech Village, managing the pre-accelerator program, a four-month program designed to help underrepresented tech entrepreneurs get their products to market.

Through every venture, Brandon recognizes the experience he had at Shepherd as one of the major influences in his life.

“After getting back into normal life and meeting other wheelchair users who didn't get to go to Shepherd, I got to see the quality of life that I have because of the therapy and education I got there,” he says. “I'm forever grateful for Shepherd because it made me who I am today. It made me feel comfortable being in a wheelchair.”
 

Written by Ruth Underwood

Shepherd Center’s Smart Technology Education for Carryover at Home (SmartTECH) project began when Chris Maurer, PT, MPT, ATP, assistive technology program manager, and Tracey Wallace, MS, CCC-SLP, Shepherd’s SHARE Military Initiative project and education coordinator, saw an opportunity to extend the reach of everyday technology to more patients through the education and training of therapists in departments throughout Shepherd Center.

“We went through a discovery process and found that not only are patients unaware of how to use or uncomfortable with using some smart devices, but some of our therapists also aren’t as comfortable training and using those types of technology as others,” explains Maurer. “So, we wanted to create a program where we would train therapists as well as patients in using everyday consumer technology to enhance patient health, safety, and wellness at home.”

Examples of applications of smart tech solutions include a person using a wheelchair adding smart plugs for lamp switches that were previously out of reach, a person with memory issues using a smart speaker to create a digital grocery list accessible from their phone, or a caregiver concerned about leaving their loved one unsupervised for even a brief period using the “drop-in” feature on a smart speaker with a video screen.

“I think what's exciting — and daunting — about these types of technologies is that they can do so many things,” Wallace says. “Smart home technology can support communication, planning, leisure, and control of your environment. It’s endless. And the way that you set up your technology can be customized. We’re using things that exist, but it's the creative way that our therapists put them together in partnership with the people that they're serving that is innovative."

Maurer and Wallace saw the greatest opportunity to start with outpatients.

“Many outpatients are already living at home, and those who are not at home live in a home-like environment,” Wallace says. “They've had an opportunity to return to life outside the hospital. Before you’ve left the hospital, you can only do so much prediction of what you’re going to need, and sometimes people don't realize something will be a challenge until they actually try it.”

Danny Housley, Shepherd Center’s Assistive Technology Center equipment case manager, is the project coordinator.

“This training is important for individuals with disabilities because they will have more access, control, and freedom, but it is also useful for caregivers. It gives everybody peace of mind and helps with care,” Housley says.

Wallace and Maurer have recruited champions – staff members from outpatient departments — to help identify the tools most helpful for their patient populations and pass on their knowledge to members of their teams.

“These champions are building their skills and knowledge and becoming leaders in this area. We have monthly meetings where they exchange information, ideas, and experience, and it's been exciting to see staff helping one another develop,” Wallace says.

They are also developing an assessment to establish a uniform way of measuring needs and interests in using smart home technology — and training materials. The next steps are to obtain equipment and set up a smart home space in each clinic. The team will implement the program in one clinic at a time.

“We hope to provide people more independence and confidence when they go home by using this type of technology,” Maurer explains. “We want to create a program that will give the therapists confidence and awareness of the available tools and how to train the patients. We want to provide patients with training materials that they can use as a resource in the future to use these technologies.”

Maurer says the program will have to evolve as technology changes.

“We will continue to update the program as technology advances to keep everybody updated on what's out there and how we can use everyday technology to help our patients further,” she explains.

The Innovation Institute in the Marcus Center for Advanced Rehabilitation, under construction on Shepherd’s main campus, will further facilitate Shepherd’s ability to connect users and technology. The Innovation Institute will house an assistive and rehabilitation technology showroom, a dedicated space for people with disabilities to test and try technologies and smart home solutions before they invest in them. The Innovation Institute is set to open summer of 2025.

Written by Ruth Underwood.

On October 30, 2022, Bobby Kwak pulled into his driveway with a sigh. It had been a long day at work, and the day’s activities had been so time-consuming, he’d forgotten to eat. He was ready to relax, have a beer, and turn in for the night. As he was getting ready for bed that evening, Bobby fainted, hitting his head on the door and the floor, and sustaining a C-2 level spinal cord injury. After his son found him, his wife called 911 and Bobby was rushed by ambulance to WellStar North Fulton Medical Center in Roswell, Georgia.

When Bobby transferred to Shepherd Center in November 2022, he was not hopeful. Being the sole breadwinner for his family, he was unsure how he would support them and pay his medical bills. Bobby had lost most function in both of his arms, making returning to his job in time for the impending tax season seem impossible. So, when he met Leah Barid, OTR/L, ATP, in Shepherd Center’s Assistive Technology Center, he was skeptical she could help.

“There was no room for failure,” Bobby explains. “I was totally against using the technology. I told Leah that unless I could use my arms, hands, and keyboard, it was useless. But she persisted and was so positive when I was so negative. So, I gave it a shot.”

With the deadline of tax season looming, the duo worked together to find innovative ways for Bobby to return to his life and his job.

“To say Bobby was skeptical would be putting it mildly,” says Leah. “He was very specific about what he wanted to do, and he wanted to use the least adaptive equipment. But, once I got him in the lab, he was up for anything I threw his way.”

As Barid introduced Bobby to new technology, like voice commands on his phone to open his apps and send emails, he began to feel more optimistic. As his hopes began to rise, so did his willingness to try new things. That’s when Barid showed him the GlassOuse system, a hands-free, wireless device that tracks the user’s head movements to move the mouse cursor accordingly and allows the user to select content with a bite switch. Now Bobby could navigate through Excel documents and type emails. Barid also set Bobby up with Dragon software. This speech recognition tool allows users to turn the spoken word into written text, providing Bobby with another way to use his computer hands-free.  

“Eventually, when Leah sold me on a couple pieces of technology, things took off,” Bobby says. “It provided so much hope. I was very positive about being able to work at that point.”

With the help of adaptive technology and the support of his company, Landis+Gyr, Bobby returned to work as a senior manager of tax accounting, even working while continuing therapy at Shepherd Center’s Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Program as an inpatient.

“They were just so supportive of me, and I can’t thank them enough,” Bobby says. “The CFO and my boss came to see me when I was at Shepherd Center. They purchased all my technology so I could do my job, allowed me to work from home, and continue to provide support. I feel like I’m slower, still learning how to do things, but I’m just as productive as I was before.”

As Bobby prepares to cross the finish line of this tax season and return to Shepherd Center for outpatient therapy, he reflects on his journey and the care he has received.  

 "I just want to thank all my therapists, nurses, and techs. I can’t thank them enough for doing a job that is usually thankless,” Bobby explains. “Especially people like Amber in the ICU, she was so patient with me when I couldn’t speak. I had to go through some dark times, but my wife, son, and the people at Shepherd Center really helped me through it all.”

Written by Lindsey Rieben

Set for April 15-16, 2016 at the North Atlanta Trade Center in Norcross, Ga., the free event will feature exhibitors offering technologies, resources, products and services to improve your quality of life and self-esteem and maximize your independence. Shepherd Center is a platinum sponsor of the event.

The Mobility Show will offer information on:

• Mobility Independence: From wheelchairs and scooters to lifts and vehicles, you can see what options are available to you to get around with mobility independence.
• Lifestyle Independence: From local activities to travel, there is more for you to discover and do in the world around us.
• Technology Independence: Smartphone and tablet applications, as well as other assistive services, can help you better communicate and move with independence.

New this year is a job fair hosted by Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency (GVRA). GVRA aims to help people with disabilities achieve independence through employment.  Attendees will have the opportunity to meet employers and build career connections. Employers will interact with skilled individuals and GVRA clients who offer the talents they need for a modern workforce. Shepherd Center's recreation therapy department also will host an informational booth at the show, as well as provide demonstrations of various activities.

People ages 18 and up who are interested in attending the Mobility Show are asked to pre-register for free via the event website. Pre-registering will save you time and allow you to print your attendee badge and fast-track your admittance into the Mobility Show. Also, your response to the registration questionnaire will assist organizers in planning for your attendance and help identify potential topics and interest for organizers to consider for workshops planned for the Mobility Show. For more information, visit www.mobilityshow.org.

The Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for Wireless Technologies (Wireless RERC) recently launched the 2015 Survey of User Needs (SUN) for Wireless Technologies. Wireless users can complete the survey online, by phone or on paper (see below).

First launched in 2002, the SUN is the only national source of comprehensive information and insight into the wireless technology needs of people with disabilities. The wireless industry, regulatory agencies, advocacy organizations and other researchers use SUN data to develop new devices and services to meet the needs of people with disabilities. Since the survey’s inception, more than 6,000 people with disabilities have completed the SUN, and more than half have joined the National Consumer Advisory Network (CAN) to continue to provide their feedback.

You may participate in the Survey of User Needs in several ways:

• Complete the survey online in English here. 
• Complete the survey online in Spanish here. 
• To complete the survey over the phone, or to request a paper copy with a stamped return envelope, contact John Morris by email or at 404-367-1348.

That’s why clinicians at Shepherd Pathways, Shepherd Center’s post-acute brain injury rehabilitation program, often teach patients how to use tools and techniques for aiding memory. These tools include common consumer devices such as cell phones and tablets.

Building on these clinical practices, a research and development team at Shepherd Center has recently developed its own memory application (“app”) called EyeRemember, which runs on a wearable device called Google Glass. Researchers have begun testing the app, gathering helpful feedback from patients with brain injury, as well as their caregivers and therapists.

The research team’s three members are part of the Glass Explorer program, and include clinical research scientist John Morris, Ph.D., speech-language pathologist Tracey Wallace, MA, CCC-SLP, and Android developer Scott Bradshaw, BSCS. The project is being funded by a Glass Accessibility Award the team received from Google in 2014.

EyeRemember helps people with memory difficulties keep track of people in their circle – family, friends, therapy team members and possibly others with whom the user interacts on a regular basis. The EyeRemember app works in conjunction with Bluetooth low-energy (BLE) beacons – small transmitters about the size of a car key fob – that must be worn or carried by friends, family, therapists and others in the user’s community. The app uses the Bluetooth capabilities built into Glass to regularly scan for other BLE beacons in the vicinity.

The user, or user’s caregiver, must first assign a beacon to individuals in the user’s circle. When the user gives the command for EyeRemember to create a new contact, the app initiates a scan of BLE beacons in the vicinity. When one is detected, it offers the user the opportunity to attach contact information to the beacon by entering a name, relationship information and a photo. After the user creates the contact, he or she can add notes about that person, or possibly things the user wants to tell that person.

The next time the beacon for an individual contact enters the vicinity of the Glass wearer, the beacon will be identified by the EyeRemember app. The contact information “card” for that individual will appear automatically on Glass, showing a photo, name and relationship for the contact. The user can then select that card to view existing notes or add new ones.

“EyeRemember is still in the testing phase. So far, clinicians and patients have been very receptive to the prototype. But, we’re still assessing the app’s effectiveness as a memory aid,” says Wallace, who is leading the clinical evaluation of the app.

Google announced in January 2015 that it was closing the Explorer program and moving the Glass program from the experimental Google X Lab to become its own Google team. At that time, Google promised future versions of Glass. The current version of Glass is still being sold to certified partners – companies in healthcare, manufacturing and other industries whose workers need hands-free access to information – in the Glass at Work program.

“We’re committed to going forward with our research and development efforts on Glass,” Dr. Morris says. “We are beginning to gather important data on app interfaces for wearable displays – whether on Glass or watches or wrist bands – for people with brain injury and their clinicians, especially for memory remediation. And, we think that Glass-like wearable hardware worn on the head is likely to mature rapidly into a robust consumer technology.”

Understanding and easily using today’s mobile consumer technology can be a challenge for anyone. But people with disabilities often have greater difficulty activating and using the myriad of features packed into today’s mobile phones, tablets and computers.

The need to ensure the accessibility of consumer technology is the reason Shepherd Center researchers recently established the Interactive Technology Usability and Accessibility Lab (Usability Lab).

“The power and versatility of smartphones, tablets and other wireless devices have greatly expanded the mobility, social engagement and independence of many people with disabilities,” said John Morris, Ph.D., director of Shepherd Center’s Usability Lab. “At the same time, the rapid expansion in the capabilities of mobile wireless technology creates additional need to ensure that the features and functions of these devices are accessible by people of all abilities.”

Designers and engineers have developed newer ways for accessing mobile wireless technologies, including voice activation, eye gaze and alternative ways of activating functions by touch. If someone has limited use of their arms, hands or fingers, for instance, they can use their voice instead to activate functions and enter information or commands into their device.

These innovations and the details of their design require testing with consumers with specific disabilities to make certain they are accessible and effective. “Accessibility doesn’t just happen,” Morris said. “It takes a determined effort. Consumers need to be involved.”

The wireless industry understands this now more than ever. Still, the industry often finds it difficult to engage people with various disabilities who can test consumer products for accessibility.

So, they turned to Shepherd Center researchers who maintain a network of consumers with various disabilities as part of the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for Wireless Technologies (Wireless RERC), an ongoing research partnership between Shepherd Center and Georgia Tech. The Wireless RERC is funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR).

“Our expertise in consumer research on wireless technologies, combined with our central location in Atlanta, make us uniquely able to help the wireless industry connect with consumers with disabilities,” said Ben Lippincott, co-director of Shepherd’s Usability Lab.

The Usability Lab has conducted six studies for Verizon Wireless, Samsung, and the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, a non-profit that developed a voter guide mobile application for people with visual impairment. Research usually involves focus group discussion for general discovery of user experiences, extended take-home usability studies and one-on-one “sit-by” testing of specific devices and software.

“By engaging consumers upfront, designers and engineers of these technologies may avoid costly fixes down the line,” Lippincott explained. More importantly, it means these technologies are more accessible at an earlier stage in their development, he added.

For more information on the researchers’ Consumer Advisory Network, see www.wirelessrerc.org/content/user-research.

“I remember when I was an attending at the VA, I had to amputate a diabetic patient’s gangrenous leg below the knee,” he recalls. “I met with the family prior to the procedure, and they could see I was tearing up. It wasn’t something I wanted to do, but it ultimately would save his life.”

Dr. Cuppels faced his own tragedy in 2010 when he sustained a complete T-10 spinal cord injury (SCI) in a fall. Paralyzed from the waist down, he suddenly found himself a patient.

After completing his rehabilitation at Shepherd Center, Dr. Cuppels was eager to return to work. But, even though he had full use of his upper body, he says the orthopedic practice that hired him told him they could not keep him on after his injury.

“When I was recovering, I assumed my job would be waiting for me, but they didn’t accept me back,” says Dr. Cuppels. “I told them ‘My hands and my head still work,’ but they had already decided, so I had to start looking for a job.”

At a crossroads, Dr. Cuppels not only faced the challenges of adjusting to everyday life, but his life’s work and passion suddenly seemed beyond his reach. However, the kindness and ingenuity of a few strangers soon would help change this.

In the doctor’s quest for job prospects, a team of biomedical engineering students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison heard about his story. They decided to take on Dr. Cuppels’ case and build what they call a standing paraplegic, omni-directional transport, or SPOT device.

“We are trying to give Dr. Cuppels his life back,” says researcher James Madsen. “Getting him back into the operating room will make a huge difference for his wellbeing and sense of independence.”

They believe their one-of-a-kind design will allow Dr. Cuppels to safely and comfortably maintain a standing position so he can again move quickly and precisely during surgical procedures.

How it Works
Commercially available standing chairs either have a front wheel, mid-wheel or back wheel design, so there is no way to move sideways – something that would hinder Dr. Cuppels’ ability to move swiftly and smoothly in the OR. With this new system, the students say he will be able to move in any direction. That’s because it is outfitted with four wheels controlled by four independent motors, giving him full range of motion.

“He can move forward, on a diagonal, sideways. He can rotate in place. Nearly every movement you can think of is possible,” says Bret Olson, an undergraduate student, and design team member.

There is a standing mechanism that will allow Dr. Cuppels to transfer from his wheelchair and a hydraulic pump to move him into the standing position. He will be able to control his movements with a joystick and a computer interface that will allow him steady use of both hands during procedures.

The team has spent much of the past year making sure the device fits Dr. Cuppels’ needs and integrates safety features. For example, the researchers are making sure the platform doesn’t tip over as Dr. Cuppels leans over. An in-person test session in Wisconsin in November 2012 allowed the team to make further modifications, but they otherwise talk during a weekly session on Skype – something that continually reenergizes the researchers, they say.

The Importance of Technology
“We know technology is hugely important at different stages of SCI rehabilitation,” says John Anschutz, manager of the Assistive Technology Center at Shepherd Center. “Individual patient needs are often what inspire the most innovative and creative technology.”

Dr. Cuppels’ desire to get back to the operating room and care for patients has inspired the team.

“They have taken such care with this project. It’s really amazing,” Dr. Cuppels says. “It renews my faith in people. I feel lucky and blessed.”

And, as Anschutz adds, it’s not just creating a device that moves. The prototype needs to be fashioned to Dr. Cuppels, remain stable as he leans over the operating table and support the fine precision of a surgeon’s hand. Of course, making sure the platform fits the operating room presents its own set of challenges.

The team has tried to anticipate these challenges. For example, they have asked: Will it fit through doorways, is it the right height and will other OR equipment get in the way? They have examined whether the device follows FDA regulations and can be easily sanitized in between cases.

Of course, other issues are bound to arise as the prototype is tested in the OR. Madsen says that, as with other bumps along the way, they will persevere. He and the team are hopeful their creation will eventually help people with paraplegia in other jobs, as well.

“They have done a phenomenal job,” Dr. Cuppels says. “They’ve talked to people in ORs to ensure the device will comply with strict regulations. They have called companies to secure donations. Even if this doesn’t become the first paraplegic robotic surgeon per se and I’m at square one, I think these guys have created something that crosses a lot of boundaries. I hope it will encourage others with SCI to consider medical school and even surgical careers. The device may also benefit people in other occupations where they need this level of precision.”

The prototype costs around $13,000, which has been partly supported by donations from companies.

For the students, the project lets them apply what they have learned to a real-world setting and know they are helping someone. For Dr. Cuppels, it provides hope that he will return to work.

For more information, view this University of Wisconsin-Madison video on the project.

Written By Amanda Crowe, MA, MPH
Photography By MARK RIECHERS, UW-MADISON COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING