Spark (Nitzoz)

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Nitzoz (Spark)

The Nitzoz (Spark) Program

The Nitzoz (Spark) Program, administered by Rambam MedTech and funded in part by donors, was established to bridge the gap between invention and commercialization. It enables Rambam-based projects to achieve early technical milestones leading to follow-on investments.

Founded in 2012, the program’s vision is to nurture promising innovations into successful products for the benefit of patients worldwide. To that end, funds are provided to determine feasibility for very early stage projects with a high probability of success, capable of reaching a pre-defined milestone to facilitate commercialization and continued development.

A committee of established researchers and leaders from the medical industry examines the proposals to decide who will be considered for support. Each selected proposal is additionally supported by appropriate professional staff, providing assistance, counsel, and developing a related business proposal (where appropriate).

Innovative Projects in Progress

All projects are donor or investor funded. Funding for each program costs approximately $20,000.
  • Stem cells for dental implants
  • Novel drugs for treatment of coagulation disorders
  • Cancer diagnosis using digital histopathology
  • Molecular diagnosis of schizophrenia
  • Microparticles for treating ischemic tissue
  • Molecular diagnosis of multiple sclerosis
  • Computerized, morphometric image analysis of diminutive polyps during colonoscopy
  • Biodegradeable breast clips
  • Prosthetic heart valve
  • Surgical device for minimally invasive surgery
  • Peritoneal dialysis device
  • Device for treatment of urinary incontinence
  • Adjustable annuloplasty apparatus
  • A device for treatment of hallux valgus

Spark Program Awardees

  • Yair Feld, MD (2012)
  • Lior Lowenstein, MD (2012)
  • Liran Shani, MD (2012)
  • Jacob Cohen, MD, Yoav Binnebaum, MD, and Ziv Gil, MD (2013)
  • Yaron Bar Lavi, MD and Amos Ofer, MD (2014)
  • Eyal Bercovich, MD (2014)
  • Yaniv Keren, MD and Yaron Berkovitch  (2014)
  • Josef Ben-Ari, MD and Amir Hadash, MD (2015)
  • Mauricio Cohen Vaizer, MD (2017)
  • Anat Grinfeld, MD (2017)
  • Amir Klein, MD and Yehuda Chowers, MD (2017)
  • Gil Zur, MD (2017)