SAN JOSE, Calif., Dec. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- SimX announces it has been selected by AFWERX for a Phase II STTR in the amount of $1,250,000 focused on building adaptations to SimX's Virtual Reality Medical Simulation System (VRMSS) to support perioperative expeditionary medical support training for surgical teams and address the most pressing challenges in the Department of the Air Force (DAF). The Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX have partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) process by accelerating the small business experience through faster proposal to award timelines, changing the pool of potential applicants by expanding opportunities to small business and eliminating bureaucratic overhead by continually implementing process improvement changes in contract execution. The DAF began offering the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018 which expanded the range of innovations the DAF funded and now on July 24, 2024, SimX started its journey to create and provide innovative capabilities that will strengthen the national defense of the United States of America.

Through this grant, SimX is collaborating with simulation training experts at the USF Health Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation (CAMLS) at the University of South Florida. The CAMLS team will help remove the traditional barriers that health care providers encounter by bringing specialized medical training directly to them using an immersive experience of modern VR technology, combined with the benefits of traditional teaching methods, including personalized instruction and expert mentorship feedback. This blend aims to elevate the standard of health care training, making it more accessible and effective for professionals in remote areas, including military personnel in remote areas of the world. "Our team is well poised to support this project," said Alan Todd, DNP, CRNA, CHSE, FAANA, associate professor in the Department of Medical Education at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, Military Healthcare Simulation and Training researcher at USF Health CAMLS, and principal investigator for the SimX project. "We have faculty colleagues with past military experience, simulation curriculum design expertise, and research expertise related to VR technologies. Tapping into this immersive technology, which has proven to be very effective in providing specialized medical training, will allow our team to train and support health care professionals participating simultaneously from anywhere, whether on base or in the field."

"The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Air Force, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. government."

About SimX
SimX is an industry-leading virtual reality medical simulation platform that is used around the world and by top institutions including Mayo Clinic, Stanford, NYU, University of Pennsylvania, the US Air Force, and many others. SimX is the world's most comprehensive virtual reality medical simulation training platform and home to the largest library of VR-simulated patient encounters. Developed by clinicians for clinicians, SimX is currently used to train doctors, nurses, EMS, healthcare providers, and military personnel to prepare through more accessible, immersive, and affordable simulated patient encounters. For more information, visit https://www.simxvr.com/.

About AFRL
The Air Force Research Laboratory is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development, and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace force. With a workforce of more than 12,500 across nine technology areas and 40 other operations across the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit www.afresearchlab.com.

About AFWERX  
As the innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFWERX brings cutting-edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF. AFWERX employs approximately 370 military, civilian and contractor personnel at five hubs and sites executing an annual $1.4 billion budget. Since 2019, AFWERX has executed over 6,100 new contracts worth more than $4 billion to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit: www.afwerx.com.

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