A Victor-based company that makes a device used to help determine a person’s cognitive function is getting a boost.
That boost is in the form of investment by philanthropist and Paychex founder Tom Golisano, who now owns the company called Cognivue.
The firm has been around for a few years, but with Golisano’s investment it is trying to position itself for expansion, both in terms of staff and distribution of its product.
That product is a non-invasive piece of equipment that is designed to be used by a primary care doctor, to help determine if a person is having cognitive problems.
Company president and CEO Tom O’Neill says the digital system can help assess a patient’s motor, visual, perception and memory skills.
“If it can become a normal part of screening, just like blood screening for diabetes or cholesterol; just like colonoscopies or just like mammographies ours is a 10 minute test; it takes you through 10 tests in 10 minutes," O'Neill told WXXI News.
O’Neill, a former executive with companies including Bausch + Lomb and Johnson & Johnson, says the idea here is that questions about cognitive issues first come up with the family doctor, and then, if there are problems determined through the Cognivue system, the patient can be referred to by a specialist.
O'Neill says Golisano got involved, not only from a business perspective, but also because he believes the company's product can have a positive impact.
“He says it’s nice to be able to do well, from a business perspective, while doing good. And I think he really looks at it and says, hey, this is an opportunity to bring a revolutionary new technology to market and make it more broad-based, expand utilization.”
Cognivue now employs 22 people, they are hoping to be able to grow that number with their expansion.
