Business & Tech

Bethlehem Company Awarded $100K Ben Franklin Loan

Cerora Inc. of Bethlehem is developing a portable brain-wave device it calls a "MindReader."

By Jack Tobias

A Bethlehem company that is developing a portable brain-wave device it calls a "MindReader" has received a $100,000 loan from the Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania.

The recipient is Cerora Inc. Its website says Cerora "is a healthcare information technology company focused on providing accessible and affordable neuro-diagnostic information with a particular focus on concussion (mTBI) and Alzheimer’s disease."

"To date, there is no portable, objective, accurate and affordable diagnostic tool to assess brain function and to assist in patient decision-making for neurologic and neuropsychiatric diseases," the Cerora website says. "Cerora is filling this gap by combining (i) advances in wireless dry contact EEG sensor technology with (ii) other bio-sensor data and (iii) proprietary activated data acquisition paradigms via (iv) an innovative Neuro Diagnostics as a Service information technology infrastructure."

 A Ben Franklin news release says of Cerora's work: "Rapid diagnosis of brain injuries and disease can lead to early and more effective interventions, yielding cost savings, improved clinical outcomes and increased patient satisfaction for people with concussions/Traumatic Brain Injury, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and other neurologic and psychiatric conditions."

The $100,000 loan going to Cerora is part of $342,378 in loans the Ben Franklin group says it is distributing to companies.

Another Lehigh Valley recipient is Skaffl LLC of Allentown, which received a $50,000 loan to complete the development of something it call "Braket."

The company's website describes it as "a new mobile application through which teachers and students can exchange class materials, assignments, completed homework, assessments and grades."

The Ben Franklin release says: "This digital application capitalizes on the exponentially growing use of iPads in K-12 classrooms and the needs of teachers as they develop tools and curricula to enhance real-time educational interaction.

There are no other applications that address these needs comprehensively while also being simple to use for students, teachers and administrators."

More information on Skaffl is available on its website.

Other recipients of Ben Franklin money are in Lewisburg, Berwick, Wyomissing and Reading.


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