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A new startup has been launched following a licensing agreement and collaboration between the ����ֱ�� Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), the ����ֱ�� School of Medicine, and medical device firms and to advance a novel neural blockade monitoring technology toward clinical use. The company, BIOPAC Medical Systems LP, will pursue regulatory approval and commercial deployment of a device that provides real-time, objective evaluation of regional anesthetic effectiveness.

The technology at the heart of BIOPAC Medical Systems was invented by former APL systems engineer Wayne Sternberger, who has a doctorate in ocean engineering, alongside co-inventor Dr. Robert S. Greenberg, a pediatric anesthesiologist at ����ֱ�� Medicine. Sternberger was the first recipient of APL’s Archimedes Award, which provides resources to help inventors transform early-stage innovations into commercially viable technologies, and further developed the neural blockade monitor under a licensing agreement between APL and BLOCKsynop in 2020. Since then, the startup has developed several prototypes with input from Root3 Labs, TechSlice and DGCooley using key instrumentation and devices from BIOPAC Systems.

BIOPAC Systems will now serve as the primary investor in the newly created BIOPAC Medical Systems, while Sternberger and Greenberg will continue guiding the technology’s refinement.

“We’re putting medical innovation into practice, transforming a pioneering concept into a potentially life-enhancing tool for clinical care,” said Sternberger. “BIOPAC Medical Systems is now positioned to move the technology from the lab to medical practice — especially to support the care of vulnerable patients.”

Regional anesthetics are widely used to block pain signals traveling along nerves to the brain, enabling safer, more targeted anesthesia during surgical and therapeutic procedures. Yet clinicians often lack a reliable way to evaluate how well these nerve blocks are working — especially in hard-to-assess patients such as children, individuals under general anesthesia or those with communication challenges. Sternberger said this technology fills that critical gap by providing objective, immediate feedback on block effectiveness — helping clinicians make informed decisions, reduce failed blocks, limit anesthetic toxicity and improve patient care.

BIOPAC Medical Systems unites the complementary expertise and intellectual property of four partners: ����ֱ�� School of Medicine, which identified the clinical need and contributed essential clinical expertise to guide real-world application; BLOCKsynop, which initiated a close collaboration to define, build and develop the essential early laboratory and clinical prototypes to realize the key concept; APL, which provided the technical infrastructure and critical early-stage support to help bring the idea to life; and BIOPAC Systems, a world leader in physiological monitoring, device co-development and business acumen.

By combining the intellectual property and technical strengths of all partners, BIOPAC Medical Systems is positioned for clinical translation and broad patient impact.

“At APL, we strive to help innovators take bold ideas beyond the lab,” said Elizabeth Hart-Wells, a technology manager at the Laboratory involved with the negotiation of the multiparty deal. “This partnership reflects the entrepreneurial ecosystem we aim to foster — where breakthrough thinking, clinical insight and business expertise come together to build something truly impactful.”

The venture also benefits from broader support, including investment from the Maryland Innovation Initiative, part of the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO), which promotes commercialization of research at several state universities, and a Small Business Innovation Research grant from the National Science Foundation — underscoring confidence in the technology’s potential to transform clinical practice.

“Through this new venture, we’re taking a major step toward transforming how clinicians manage pain — objectively, safely and in real time,” said Frazer Findlay, CEO of BIOPAC Systems, Inc. “By licensing and advancing the neural block monitoring technology, BIOPAC Medical Systems is committed to delivering a clinically validated device that empowers better decision-making and improves patient outcomes when it matters most.”