Decades of Nerve Science, Now in the Operating Room: Epineuron pilots Bioelectronic Platform for Peripheral Nerve Repair and Regeneration at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Through OBIO’s Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN®), supported by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), Epineuron’s evidence-driven Peripheral Nerve Evaluation & Therapeutic technology enters real-world surgical evaluation at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.
June 16, 2026 (Toronto, ON) — Peripheral nerve injury affects approximately two million people in North America annually, with half requiring surgery. Even after intervention, patients are frequently left with lasting functional deficits, permanent loss of movement or sensation, and chronic pain.
Members of the OBIO®, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, and Epineuron Technologies teams gather to mark the launch of the evaluation. From left to right: Bibaswan Ghoshal (OBIO® Sr. Director, Technology Adoption), Yuvenne Deng (OBIO® Sr. Associate, Technology Adoption), Mike Willand (Epineuron Technologies CTO and Co-Founder), Sergio Aguirre (Epineuron Technologies CEO and Co-Founder) pictured holding the Evala® nerve stimulator, Jullia Santos (Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre Research Coordinator), Katelyn So (Epineuron Technologies Clinical Research Manager), Dr. Jana Dengler (Sunnybrook Health Sciences Affiliate Scientist and Hand and Peripheral Nerve Surgeon) pictured holding the PeriPulse® nerve stimulation system.
Epineuron and OBIO®, in partnership with Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, have launched a commercial evaluation to assess how Epineuron’s bioelectronic platform integrates into real-world surgical workflows to broaden access to advanced nerve care. Supported by OBIO’s Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN®), the project will follow patients undergoing peripheral nerve surgery at Sunnybrook.
The evaluation features the evala® Nerve Stimulator, a single-use, needle-free device for intraoperative nerve identification, and the peripulse® Nerve Stimulation System, a single-use perioperative wearable delivering one hour of targeted electrical stimulation therapy. Backed by over 25 years of foundational Canadian research, peripulse® translates proven regenerative science into a streamlined device engineered for modern operating rooms.
A purpose-built approach to nerve surgery
Sunnybrook President and CEO Dr. Andy Smith was on hand to celebrate the launch of the evaluation project at Sunnybrook, joining Dr. Jana Dengler, and the OBIO® and Epineuron teams for a firsthand look at the evala® and peripulse® technology. From left to right: Sergio Aguirre (Epineuron Technologies CEO and Co-Founder), Dr. Andy Smith (Sunnybrook Health Sciences President and CEO), Mike Willand (Epineuron Technologies CTO and Co-Founder) pictured holding evala®, Dr. Jana Dengler (Sunnybrook Health Sciences Affiliate Scientist and Hand and Peripheral Nerve Surgeon) pictured holding peripulse®, Yuvenne Deng (OBIO® Sr. Associate, Technology Adoption), Bibaswan Ghoshal (OBIO® Sr. Director, Technology Adoption), and Katelyn So (Epineuron Technologies Clinical Research Manager).
Traditional peripheral nerve surgery frequently relies on capital-intensive “big-box” systems or non-specialized equipment that introduce unnecessary cost, time, and operational complexity to the operating room. Epineuron’s platform overcomes these barriers with a purpose-built, streamlined ecosystem that introduces commercial regenerative electrical stimulation while simplifying intraoperative nerve evaluation.
As the technology is used during surgery at Sunnybrook, an evaluation team will capture real-world operational evidence, measuring key performance indicators including procedural time, cost efficiency, operating-room utilization, provider satisfaction, and the patient experience.
“We are bringing a new era of peripheral nerve care to life. Our peripulse® system stands alone as the first and only approved treatment engineered to enhance peripheral nerve regeneration in Canada. Complemented now by evala®, we provide surgeons with a simpler, more intuitive workflow for intraoperative nerve evaluation. We aren’t just offering a novel treatment; we are delivering a complete, streamlined ecosystem for critical surgical decisions and advanced healing. This partnership marks a major step in realizing our vision.”
— Sergio Aguirre, CEO and Co-Founder, Epineuron Technologies
“The evala® and peripulse® devices integrated easily into our existing surgical workflow across our first cases. Setup was intuitive on both devices, and using the technology streamlined our usual approach in the operating room. Early patient feedback has been encouraging too: the first patient to receive peripulse® therapy through this evaluation reported being satisfied with the experience and indicated they would recommend the therapy to other nerve injury patients. We’re looking forward to evaluating these systems across the rest of the patient cohort.”
— Dr. Jana Dengler, Affiliate Scientist and Hand and Peripheral Nerve Surgeon, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
“This collaboration perfectly illustrates the important role that OBIO’s Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN®) plays in bringing promising made-in-Canada technologies into real-world clinical applications. By supporting the evaluation of Epineuron’s devices at Sunnybrook, we are accelerating their adoption to make regenerative therapy more accessible and improve outcomes for patients with peripheral nerve injuries.”
— Dr. Maura Campbell, President and CEO, OBIO®
Toward broader access to advanced nerve care
Equipped with insights from this collaboration, Epineuron aims to establish a blueprint for how hospitals across Canada can deliver advanced nerve care, accelerating patient access to early, accessible regenerative therapy. By delivering an intuitive, unified ecosystem for intraoperative evaluation and targeted regeneration, the company is uniquely positioned to reduce healthcare overhead while empowering surgeons to achieve meaningful functional recovery for their patients.
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About Epineuron Technologies
Epineuron Technologies Inc. is a pioneering medical device company dedicated to restoring human function through its proprietary bioelectronic platform for nerve evaluation and regeneration. Headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, Epineuron empowers clinicians and improves patient quality of life by delivering intuitive, highly effective solutions that streamline intraoperative decision-making and unlock the full therapeutic potential of the peripheral nervous system.
For more information, visit epineurontech.com or follow Epineuron on LinkedIn.
About Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre is one of Canada’s premier academic health sciences centres, affiliated with the University of Toronto. Sunnybrook is dedicated to inventing the future of health care for the patients it serves through advanced research, education, and specialized clinical programs.
For more information, visit sunnybrook.ca.
About OBIO®
Founded in 2009, OBIO®, a not-for-profit, membership-based organization dedicated to advancing health technology innovation and commercialization, is prioritizing the evaluation of new technologies through its Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN®), supported by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario). OBIO® is engaged in strategy, programming, policy development and advocacy to address the needs of the next generation of companies developing innovative human health products. For more information, please visit OBIO.ca and follow OBIO® on LinkedIn and X.
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Media Contacts
Epineuron TechnologiesSergio Aguirre
CEO and Co-Founder
saguirre@epineurontech.com
Sunnybrook Health Sciences CentreSamantha Sexton
Manager, Research and Education Communications
samantha.sexton@sunnybrook.ca
OBIO®
Doriane Rey
Senior Manager, Marketing & Communications
dorianerey@obio.ca