DENVER--(Business Wire)--
ADA Technologies, Inc. (ADA) received a $189,886 grant from the National
Institute of Mental Health to develop a home lithiummonitor for use by patients
with bipolar disorder. The testing tool would allow reliable, routine at-home
monitoring of blood lithium concentrations, enabling individuals with bipolar
disorder to conveniently and effectively manage their care.
Effective treatment of bipolar disorder, an inherited disease that affects 5.7
million adult Americans (www.mentalhealth.com), is dependent on maintaining a
lithium blood concentration that falls within a narrow range. Current monitoring
methods are not amenable to home use by a patient, making it difficult for
patients to know when their levels fall outside of this narrow range.
Testing lithium concentration in blood is extremely challenging due to the
interference of sodium. ADA`s research program will overcome this problem and
produce a prototypical device for testing lithium blood concentrations.
"A home-based testing tool will enable patients to monitor their lithium blood
concentrations daily and adjust their medication accordingly," said Kent Henry,
Ph.D., ADA senior scientist and principal investigator on the project. "Just as
home monitoring of blood sugar levels enables diabetics to manage their health,
individuals with bipolar disorder will be better equipped to manage their health
and overall well-being."
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, bipolar disorder is the
third leading cause of death in the 15-24 age bracket and the sixth leading
cause of disability in the 15-44 age bracket.
The project described was supported by Award Number R43MH090779 from the
National Institute of Mental Health. The content is solely the responsibility of
the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the
National Institute of Metal Health or the National Institutes of Health.
ADA Technologies, Inc.
ADA Technologies, Inc. is a research, development, and commercialization company
that specializes in creating and converting innovative technologies to
commercial successes. The firm is headquartered in Littleton, Colorado, with
offices on the University of Wyoming campus in Laramie, WY and the Virginia Tech
Corporate Research Center in Blacksburg, VA. ADA has received more than 130
research grants totaling more than $40 million. ADA has received numerous
honors, including: 2006 Tibbetts Award, 2006, 2007 & 2008 Colorado Technology
Fast 50, 2006 & 2007 Best Companies to Work For in Colorado and Colorado`s Top
Technology Company 2005. For more information, please visit www.adatech.com or
call 303-792-5615.
ADA Technologies
Clifton H. Brown, Jr., 303-792-5615, x264
President & CEO
Cliffb@adatech.com
or
Meredith Bagnulo, 303-513-7494
meredith@bagnulocomm.com
Copyright Business Wire 2009
