HSSC is an active, enthusiastic participant in the South Carolina SmartState™ Program, which creates Centers of Economic Excellence in research areas that will advance the state's economy. HSSC currently supports 12 Centers of Economic Excellence that are addressing a wide range of health-related issues. Several spinoff companies and successful programs have been launched in conjunction with these Centers of Economic Excellence, including the following.

Cephos Corporation

Patented brain imaging technology developed by the Brain Imaging Center of Economic Excellence is now being marketed by spinoff company Cephos Corporation as the most advanced brain-imaging techniques for scientifically accurate lie detection.

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) scans of brain activity can be used to show when an individual is lying or telling the truth. The brain-based lie-detection tool has been featured in international print and television media. Cephos' fMRI scans of brain activity have been used as evidence in the sentencing phase of a murder trial. The technology is in demand among law firms, corporations, and individuals seeking sophisticated, science-based lie detection.

For more information, visit www.cephoscorp.com.

A spinoff company of the Regenerative Medicine Center of Economic Excellence, FirstString makes a topical, peptide-based gel that can keep the body from scarring and promotes regeneration of damaged tissue, particularly if application is begun within 24 hours of injury.

With a different formulation, the wound repair gel may be used to tackle more serious internal scarring. Preclinical tests on these indications have yielded an impressive suite of data. Possible applications include internal injuries caused by heart attack, spinal cord injuries, hip implants, stents, and age-related macular degeneration.

For more information, visit www.firststringresearch.com.

NXT Health, a spinoff of work occurring at the Center of Economic Excellence in Health Facilities Design and Testing, Spartanburg Regional Hospital, and HSSC, addresses architectural, interior design, workflow, and advanced technology issues to improve health care settings in ways that increase the health and well-being of patients and their care providers.

NXT Health brings together professionals from health care, academia, and the private sector to perform multi-disciplinary research in specific areas that affect the delivery of health care services, including architecture, industrial design, information technology, nursing, and human factors.

For more information, visit www.nxthealth.org.

SimTunes, a spinoff of the Center of Economic Excellence in Clinical Effectiveness and Patient Safety, creates educational material for use in health care simulation training. Such training, which allows health care professionals to practice treatment techniques in realistic settings using sophisticated mannequins that mimic a real-world experience, is thought to reduce medical errors and improve overall patient safety.

For more information, visit www.simtunes.net.

The REACH (Remote Evaluation of Acute Ischemic Stroke) program at the Medical University of South Carolina and the University of South Carolina is an outgrowth of the Stroke Center of Economic Excellence.

Led by Robert Adams, MD, the REACH program uses web-based technology to connect MUSC and USC stroke experts with staff at South Carolina’s small and rural hospitals.

Often, rural hospitals will receive stroke patients in their emergency rooms, but will not have enough neurologists on staff to provide a 24-hour stroke team capable of stroke evaluation and treatment. These small hospitals now have around-the-clock access to stroke experts who can remotely examine patients and their brain imaging results, and provide guidance on evaluation and treatment. If needed, patients can be transferred to MUSC or USC for additional diagnosis and treatment.

More than half of South Carolina’s population is now within a 60-minute drive of a facility that can provide quick and advanced treatment for ischemic strokes, such as tPA (tissue Plasminogen Activator), thanks to the REACH program. The program has provided care to more than 1,000 stroke patients since its launch.

For more information on MUSC’s participation in the REACH program, click here.

For more information on the Stroke Center of Economic Excellence, part of the South Carolina SmartState™ Program, click here.