Across Stanford Medicine, promising ideas and solutions are plentiful and just waiting for the right support and resources to take them to the next level. Enter the Stanford Medicine Catalyst program.
The Catalyst program nurtures and supports health care innovations by enabling teams to develop and scale high-potential ideas. Catalyst provides financial and operational support, program management, business and regulatory strategy, mentorship, Stanford pilot and clinical studies, and access to an investor network.
Since its founding in 2020, Catalyst has awarded 23 project teams across three prior cohorts. Interested teams can preview application questions on the Catalyst website in order to prepare for the newest application window that opens on Sept. 6.
One of the projects in Catalyst’s 2024 cohort is the X-ray transparent video display, AVATAR. Below, AVATAR project leads Lawrie Skinner, PhD, and Susan Hiniker, MD, share how the Catalyst program has helped accelerate the team’s work.
What is the X-ray transparent video display project?
It comprises mainly a device we call AVATAR (Audio Visual Therapeutic Ambience in/for Radiotherapy). In a nutshell, it is an X-ray translucent screen that we use for video immersion during pediatric radiotherapy treatments, to help children undergoing radiotherapy remain still, calm, and relaxed during daily treatment. As any parent knows, screen time can be very effective at immobilizing children. We use this device to avoid the need for daily anesthesia and all the complexity that it entails (no food the night before, one- to two-hour post-anesthesia recovery, nausea risk, infection risk, risks of long-term neurocognitive deficits from repeated daily anesthesia). It also helps with scheduling and resourcing on the hospital side.
What are the potential impacts of the project?
The main aim is to spread this innovation beyond Stanford. We feel it has particularly strong potential impact in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) where anesthesia during radiotherapy is often not an option due to the complexity and resources, yet ~80% of childhood cancers are in LMIC settings. In those settings, if children are unable to lay still for radiotherapy, they cannot receive treatment and miss the chance for potential cure of their cancer.
What are some of the benefits of working with the Catalyst program?
The Catalyst team’s strong input, knowledge, and connections to business, Food and Drug Administration, and Stanford’s Office of Technology and Licensing have been very helpful. This business and regulatory side of things are areas where we didn't have much expertise as academics working in health care. Having a project manager and being able to hire technical help has also been instrumental.
What’s next for your project?
We are just partway through. We are currently working on the regulatory pathways, reaching out to companies and distributing our devices for feedback and development. We are heartened by feedback from partner centers telling us how much access to our device has helped their pediatric oncology patients, and the Catalyst program has been instrumental in making this possible.
Is your project the next Catalyst innovation?
The AVATAR project is just one example of the innovative work being supported by the Catalyst program. The program is helping to accelerate the development of several new health care technologies that have the potential to improve the lives of patients around the world.
Catalyst is seeking health care innovations from all members of the Stanford community (faculty, university and health care staff, and students) that can significantly impact global health care. Catalyst will award select projects with validated science that hold the promise of becoming world-changing solutions and are ready to be implemented through piloting, advanced prototype development, or early-stage utilization.
Take the next steps by:
Reviewing the Catalyst site for additional details and FAQs.
Evaluating whether your project might be a good fit.
Applying for the program or encouraging others to do so. The application window will open on Sept. 6. Application reviews will begin upon receipt. We encourage you to apply as soon as you are ready.
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