Sonostics to Use New Technology to Assess Female Athletes' Risk of Knee Injury

BINGHAMTON, NY, June 07, 2011 (Press-News.org) About 30 female high school athletes have been invited to participate in a free program Saturday to determine whether they are at risk of knee injury because of a muscle imbalance condition, Sonostics CEO Chuck Schwerin said.

Sonostics, a startup business spun out of Binghamton University's bioengineering department, has developed technology to measure muscle balance and will use it during the tests, to be conducted at Southern Tier Physical Therapy Associates in Vestal.

"Without our technology, no one has been able to adequately measure that balance," Schwerin said. "It's a wonderful opportunity for us to collect data with a population that is very, very targeted."

The data will be used to advance Sonostics' products and showcase its technology.

The company aims to sell a version of its product to researchers and educators worldwide in March, Schwerin said. Reseller Biopac Systems of California will establish the selling price to customers.

Nationwide release of another version for physical therapists, trainers and coaches is expected to occur in April, Schwerin said. This version is expected to be leased to clients for $300 a month.

Female athletes have ACL (anterior cruciate ligament -- a ligament in the center of the knee) tears up to eight times more often than males, said Schwerin, explaining the program's focus on female athletes -- mostly basketball, volleyball,
soccer and lacrosse players.

Schwerin said physical therapist Todd Mansfield, of Southern Tier Physical Therapy Associates, will conduct the knee exams. Dr. Erik Hiester of Lourdes and Bryan McGovern, a strength and conditioning coach at BU, will offer muscular health, knee safety and exercise regimen information.

Sonostics incorporated in 2008 to commercialize Vibromyography, a technology that converts muscle vibration to absolute effort. Spun out of the Bioengineering Department at Binghamton University, Sonostics targets this technology at researchers, physical therapists, athletic trainers, fitness centers as well as amateur and professional sports programs.