The Evolution of Thermaquil Inc.
I recently had the chance to speak with Dr. Changfeng Tai, PhD. He is the Co-founder of Thermaquil Inc. and a Professor of Urology, Bioengineering, and Pharmacology at the University of Pittsburgh. Within the university, his research group is known as “Dr. Tai’s Lab.” During our conversation, I learned more about Thermaquil’s story and how an “early stage translational research grant” from the Center for Medical Innovation (CMI) helped accelerate its progress.
Many chronic disorders occur due to overactivity of nerves. The current methods to treat this overactivity include injecting local anesthesia and using kilohertz (kHz) frequency electrical stimulation, which relies on radio-frequency electrical currents. However, local anesthesia is not recommended because it’s difficult for the drug to reach the nerve, and it cannot be administered repeatedly. Therefore, it cannot be used in the long run. The kHz electrical stimulation method also has limitations since patients experience severe initial pain before the nerve is blocked. Dr. Tai’s research discovered a new long-term pain-free method to block the nerves by briefly heating them and then bringing them to room temperature.
Early animal studies and the first prototypes were developed in Dr. Tai’s lab, whose work laid the foundation for the technology. With help from CMI funding, the team created the first cuffed prototype capable of heating and cooling nerves to the desired temperatures. With support from the university, they filed a patent application, which has since been issued. CMI’s involvement during this stage helped move the project from an academic concept into a technology with clear commercial potential.
Thermaquil Inc. was formed in 2017 when the team received a $100,000 Pitt Innovation Challenge (pInCh) grant, matched by $100,000 from the Phase 1 Ventures program (P1V). P1V is a startup accelerator run by the University City Science Center and supported through a partnership with the University of Pittsburgh to advance early-stage technologies. Thermaquil has also received SBIR and STTR grants from NIH and NSF to develop this thermal nerve block technology. Although the thermal nerve block device is still moving through development, these early investments, beginning with CMI’s support, helped launch the technology onto a clear path toward future clinical use.
- Jana Citrenbaum