Aclarion, Inc., a commercial-stage healthcare technology company, has established a commercial agreement with Weill Cornell Medicine to bring its Nociscan technology to the institution's spine research program. The agreement involves Och Spine at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and the multidisciplinary spine team led by Principal Investigator Jaspal Ricky Singh, MD, who is triple-board certified and has earned a national reputation for innovation and excellence.
The trial, entitled "A Prospective Review of Bone Marrow Aspirate Stem Cell Concentrate (BMAC) for Osteoarthritis and Degenerative Disc Disease," is conducted under IRB Protocol No. 22-06024915. The purpose of this initial study is to investigate whether the dose and quantity of bone marrow aspirate stem cell concentrate used for treating osteoarthritis and degenerative disc disease in the spine affects patient-reported functional outcomes and pain. A subset of spine patients, selected per Dr. Singh's clinical evaluation, will be eligible for Nociscan assessment.
Dr. Singh explained that his team takes a comprehensive approach to treating spinal disorders, incorporating physical therapy and various interventional techniques. Their pioneering research into discogenic low back pain and concentrated bone marrow aspirate presents an ideal opportunity to utilize insights provided by Nociscan. As Vice Chair and Director of Interventional Spine at Weill Cornell Medicine and Rehabilitation Medicine Specialist at Och Spine, Dr. Singh emphasized the multidisciplinary approach to pain treatment.
Chronic low back pain represents a significant global healthcare challenge, with approximately 266 million people worldwide suffering from degenerative spine disease and low back pain according to research published in Global Spine Journal. Aclarion's Nociscan solution addresses this challenge as the first evidence-supported SaaS platform that noninvasively helps physicians distinguish between painful and nonpainful discs in the lumbar spine. The technology objectively quantifies chemical biomarkers demonstrated to be associated with disc pain.
When used alongside other diagnostic tools, Nociscan provides critical insights into the location of a patient's low back pain and has been shown to improve pain and function when all Nociscan-positive discs are treated. The platform operates through a cloud connection that receives magnetic resonance spectroscopy data from MRI machines for each lumbar disc being evaluated. Proprietary signal processing techniques extract and quantify relevant chemical biomarkers, which are then analyzed through proprietary algorithms to indicate whether a disc may be a source of pain.
This collaboration represents a significant step in validating Nociscan's clinical utility within prestigious academic medical settings. The integration of this technology into Weill Cornell's research protocol could provide valuable data on how biomarker-based diagnostics can enhance treatment strategies for degenerative spine conditions. For more information about Aclarion and its technology, visit https://www.aclarion.com.
The implications of this agreement extend beyond the immediate research collaboration. As healthcare systems seek more precise diagnostic tools for chronic pain conditions, partnerships between technology companies and academic medical centers like Weill Cornell Medicine help establish clinical evidence and best practices. The trial's focus on bone marrow aspirate stem cell concentrate treatments combined with advanced diagnostic technology represents a convergence of regenerative medicine and precision diagnostics that could shape future standards of care for spinal disorders.
For patients suffering from chronic low back pain, advancements in diagnostic precision could mean more targeted treatments, potentially reducing the trial-and-error approach that often characterizes pain management. The ability to objectively identify painful discs through biomarker analysis represents a shift toward more evidence-based interventions for a condition that affects millions globally and represents substantial healthcare costs and quality of life impacts.
