MetroHealth brings innovative stroke rehabilitation to Northeast Ohio, offering Synchrony®, an FDA‑cleared therapy that improves hand strength and recovery.
Published May 5, 2026
Contributed by: Jayme Knutson, PhD / Director of Research, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and John Chae, MD, ME / Chief Academic Officer
MetroHealth Occupational Therapists First to Use Novel Stroke Therapy
More than 20 years ago, researchers at the MetroHealth System developed a prototype for what is now called Synchrony® by Synapse. In January, occupational therapists at MetroHealth became the first in the U.S. to train on the technology and use it in clinical care.
Synchrony is the first commercial device to deliver contralaterally controlled functional electrical stimulation (CCFES), a therapy designed for stroke survivors with hand weakness on one side. The system uses the movement of the stroke survivor’s unaffected hand to control electrical stimulation of the weak hand, causing both hands to open together. As the stronger hand opens, the device delivers proportional stimulation to the affected hand.
By linking the two hands, the system helps restore voluntary control and retrain the brain’s ability to open the hand and perform everyday tasks. MetroHealth will offer the technology in the inpatient and outpatient settings.
Years in the Making
Jayme Knutson, PhD, director of research and senior staff scientist in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at MetroHealth, and John Chae, MD, ME, chief academic officer at MetroHealth, conceived of CCFES in 2004 and began to create the first prototype for use in a research study. Their team conducted clinical research to evaluate CCFES, including a National Institutes of Health-funded study that began in 2018. They also refined the device over the years, making it wireless and wearable.
One of the participants enrolled in CCFES studies was Jeff Buysse, who had a stroke in 2019. Buysse says the study laid the groundwork for his recovery.
“Being in the study helped me a lot,” he says. “I like my life right now. It’s been a stroke that has many complications, but throughout all of this, I’ve worked hard and feel better than ever.”
The Collaboration Behind the Technology
Synapse Biomedical Inc. developed the product in collaboration with Dr. Knutson, Dr. Chae and Hunter Peckham, PhD, distinguished university professor emeritus and professor of biomedical engineering and orthopedics emeritus at Case Western Reserve University.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted Synapse clearance to market CCFES under the name Synchrony in 2025.
The Transition to Clinical Care
Liz Arlia, OTR/L, an inpatient occupational therapist at MetroHealth, is excited to use CCFES with her patients. “Electrical stimulation is one tool we have to show patients that recovery is possible,” she says.
The goal is to introduce Synchrony in select clinics in Northeast Ohio this spring and expand availability nationwide by the end of the year.
“This work has been about creating effective interventions that make it into the healthcare system to help people,” Dr. Knutson says. “It’s a huge milestone to see this roll out into clinical care.”
