Patient wears a robotic exoskeleton to help him walk
WakeMed is one of sixteen sites across the country that are starting to use the robotic exoskeleton, designed by Ekso Bionics, to help patients learn or re-learn to walk.
The device went on the market in February, said Eythor Bender, CEO of Ekso Bionics, based near San Francisco.WakeMed is one of sixteen sites across the country that are starting to use the robotic exoskeleton, designed by Ekso Bionics, to help patients learn or re-learn to walk.
For now, the Ekso is an aid for physical therapy clinics with the help of therapists trained in its use, but the company is working on a model for home use, which it hopes to begin selling in two years.
The home model will be more elaborate in its function, but lighter, slimmer, cheaper,and have a look that’s more low-key.
That first “personal unit” also will need to have fall-prevention features. Also, cost and who pays are key issues. The current model costs $140,000, with a $10,000 annual service contract, Bender said.
The company is trying to reduce the cost and working with several rehab hospitals on research into the health benefits of getting people back on their feet and walking each day.
If the various health benefits can be quantified the device could become a reasonable thing for insurance companies to cover.
The hospital is using it on patients with spinal cord injuries who can’t walk on their own, but it plans to eventually use it on other kinds of cases, such as stroke patients.
Elsewhere, the device is already used for patients with other health problems, including multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) and traumatic brain injuries.
For patients who spend significant amounts of time in wheelchairs, being able to spend at least a little time in the device regularly is likely to offer improvements in a host of functions, such as circulation, respiration and digestion.
It may help those with partial spinal cord injuries regain some function more easily.
Harder to quantify are intangible benefits, such as what it means for someone who has been in a wheelchair for decades to simply to be able to stand, walk around and look people in the eye again.
The Ekso looks like a kind of mechanized, computerized combination of a backpack and leg braces. Patients wear it with straps below the knees, on the thighs, around the stomach and over the shoulders.
Patients must have at least some upper body strength to use Ekso because they must use a walker or crutches when wearing the device to ensure their balance.
The Ekso is designed to carry its entire weight, about 45 pounds, but the patient’s weight goes through the patient’s own legs, something the company believes will help fight the loss of bone density, a common problem for those who spend significant time in wheelchairs.
About 350 patients nationwide have used the device so far.
The long-term potential that the Ekso suggests is limited by little more than the speed of improvements and imagination, Bender said.
The potential market is huge, with nearly 70 million people worldwide who need wheelchairs, many in a position to benefit from assisted walking.
Source link: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/09/27/2373685/wakemed-gets-wearable-robot.html
Robotic device helps WakeMed patients walk - Health/Science - NewsObserver.com
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