(Wilmington, N.C.) Cortech Solutions, Inc., Wilmington, N.C. and Kappametrics, Inc., Chantilly, Va., have signed a distribution agreement under which Cortech Solutions will represent Kappametrics flagship product, fEEGTM, in the neuroscience research market. Cortech will begin offering the fEEG system immediately to its clients at universities, corporate R&D labs and government research institutes throughout the United States and Canada.

fEEG is a unique instrument designed to measure tiny electrical signals from the brain through electroencephalography (EEG) even as the patient undergoes a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) procedure. Combined EEG and fMRI data provide physicians with valuable information to improve the understanding and diagnosis of chronic neurological disorders. Each year, more than 10 million Americans are evaluated for various brain disorders.

Lloyd Smith, Cortech Solutions president, commented, “Cortech brings the most advanced technology to researchers, and we are proud to add Kappametrics’ fEEG product to our portfolio. fMRI and EEG have always been known to be complementary, but were widely believed to be impossible to measure simultaneously. The brain’s electric signals are very subtle, and the large electromagnetic signals inherent in MRI make this a challenging problem. Kappametrics has taken on this technological challenge, and the fEEG system truly represents the state of the art in simultaneous EEG and fMRI measurement.”

Kappametrics President and Chief Executive Officer Jay D. Miller said, “Our technology is currently geared primarily for researchers, and Cortech’s focus on neuroscience research makes this agreement a strong strategic fit. With established customer relationships and expertise in this area, Cortech can introduce our technology to researchers efficiently, and we are excited to see it in use.”

John Zett, chief operating officer of Kappametrics, added, “In the course of developing fEEG, we peeled back the onion layer by layer, precisely identifying each component of artifact induced by the MRI on the EEG and resolving it through analog signal processing prior to digitization of the EEG signals. fEEG provides a new combined imaging modality ─ SEM for Simultaneous EEG and fMRI. With SEM, researchers can obtain concurrent spatial and temporal functional information from the brain that cannot be derived from EEG or fMRI alone.”

Kappametrics’ breakthrough fEEG™ technology employs innovative noise cancellation techniques to eliminate the large radio frequency, electrostatic and magnetic noise induced on the EEG signals by the fMRI scanner, thereby enabling the real-time collection of physiologic EEG data during fMRI scans. The system will help ensure the integrity of the EEG signal by dramatically improving the signal to noise ratio of the data at the source prior to digitization, while also removing ballistocardiogram and other artifacts, to provide concurrent acquisition of EEG data during fMRI imaging. The fEEG™ system’s user-friendly design and simultaneous imaging capabilities are expected to offer cost and efficiency benefits for academic researchers and clinicians.

Cortech Solutions, Inc., a private company based in Wilmington, N.C., is the single source for sales and support for all the tools a neuroscientist needs for advanced brain research. The company identifies best-in-class solutions, works with manufacturers to ensure compatibility and offers the total solution with technical support. Cortech serves universities, corporate R&D labs, and government research institutes throughout the United States and Canada. Additional information is available at www.cortechsolutions.com.