[ExI] exoskeleton makes the lame to walk

[spike]

Well done, lads from that other school up there which isn't Stanford but
smart people go there too:

 

 

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Ekso-Bionics-Delivers-First-Ekso-Exo
skeleton-1620284.htm

 

February 15, 2012 12:00 ET

Ekso Bionics Delivers First "Ekso" Exoskeleton

 

Investigational Studies Completed: All Paraplegic Patients Walked During
First Session

 

BERKELEY, CA--(Marketwire - Feb 15, 2012) - Ekso Bionics today announced
that the first commercial unit of its Ekso exoskeleton was delivered
yesterday, on February 14, to Craig Hospital in Denver. Ekso is a wearable
robot that powers paraplegics up, enabling them to stand and walk. In
addition -- working together with top rehabilitation centers in the U.S. --
Ekso Bionics just completed a ten-month Investigational Study of Ekso that
entailed reciprocal information sharing and learning, training, as well as
the definition of clinical protocols. Delivery of Eksos -- beginning with
Ekso Bionics' Charter Rehabilitation Centers -- will take place over the
course of the next three months.

 

Ekso is a ready-to-wear, battery-powered exoskeleton designed for patients
with spinal cord injuries and pathologies that inhibit their ability to
walk. It is strapped over the user's clothing. The patient doesn't bear the
weight, however, as the device transfers its 45 lb.

load directly to the ground. Each Ekso can be adjusted in a few minutes to
fit most people weighing 220 pounds or less, and between 5'2" and 6'2", with
at least partial upper body strength, and can be adjusted to fit one patient
and then another in minutes.

 

"We said we'd be shipping the first units in Q1 of 2012, and we made that
deadline," explained Eythor Bender, Ekso Bionics' CEO. "Ekso Bionics has
fulfilled all of the FDA requirements that empower the company to sell the
first commercial version of the Ekso exoskeleton to rehabilitation centers,"
he added. The sale of each exoskeleton to rehabilitation centers includes
"Ekso +," a comprehensive service, financing and training program.

 

Investigational studies of the device at the Charter Rehabilitation Centers
have just been completed. The ten-month program defined clinical protocols,
and provided insights into ways to improve the device. The charter hospitals
will also become the first Ekso Centers in the world, conducting ongoing
research, and offering the device for the rehabilitation of their patients.

 

Among the preliminary results of the Investigational Studies:

 

    70 subjects were proposed by the rehabilitation centers.

    All 63 patients that passed the preliminary health screening were able
to walk 81 to 638 steps during their first session in Ekso.

    7 of the 70 proposed subjects did not pass the preliminary screening due
to flexibility, bone density and/or weight issues, so were unable to
participate.

    The average number of steps taken in a session was over 200.

    4,000 to 5,000 steps were taken on average per Investigational Study
week.

 

"It was phenomenal," architect Robert Woo and patient explained to the NY
Daily News after taking 300 steps at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York
City, where he's undergoing rehabilitation. "I was so excited to be walking
on my own two feet, walking naturally." Michael Rhode, a

C6/7 quadriplegic at the Kessler Institute, thought the experience "was one
of the most unbelievable feelings I've ever had. I just started walking." He
certainly did. Michael took 520 steps during his first session in Ekso.

 

"We've been wowed by the dedication and willingness to collaborate on the
part of our rehabilitation partners," stated Eythor Bender. "The input from
their world-class physical therapists led to multiple new and improved
features on the Ekso device, such as the adjustment of the harnessing system
and the control interface. All of these remarkable centers are still on this
journey with us and in it for the long haul.

Knowing that every single participant stood and walked during their first
session confirms that we are on track to alter the future of spinal cord
injury rehabilitation," he added.

 

Darrell Musick, PT clinical director for Ekso Bionics, oversaw the
Investigational Studies and explained, "We were able to verify the safety of
the device with various injury levels, body types and varying height/weight.
Moreover, we worked closely with 31 physical therapists and successfully
tested the user experience together."

 

"Our initial testing clearly showed that with some assistance, patients with
different levels of spinal cord injuries (SCI) can walk with Ekso.

At Kessler Foundation, we plan to look not just at mobility, but the impact
of that mobility on serious health issues. Do walking and standing improve
bone and muscle strength, circulation, respiratory function, skin integrity,
mood, and even bowel and bladder function?

These are the really important issues we want to explore for people in
wheelchairs, whether their impairment is caused by spinal cord injury, or
stroke, MS, or brain injury," added Gail F Forrest, Ph.D., senior research
scientist, Human Performance & Engineering Research at Kessler Foundation.

 

Ekso Bionics' Charter Rehabilitation Centers are:

 

    Craig Hospital, Englewood, CO

    Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network, Allentown, PA

    Kessler Foundation, West Orange, NJ

    Mount Sinai Medical Center, NY, NY

    Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC), Chicago, IL

    RIM Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan, Detroit, MI

    Rehabilitation Hospital of the Pacific, Honolulu, HI

    Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, San Jose, CA

    Shepherd Center, Atlanta, GA

    Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Boston, MA

    TIRR Memorial Hermann, Houston, TX

 

About Ekso Bionics

Ekso Bionics (http://www.eksobionics.com) -- formerly known as Berkeley
Bionics and headquartered in Berkeley, California with offices in London, UK
-- is a designer and maker of wearable robots, or exoskeletons, that
physically augment humans.

 

 

 

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.extropy.org/pipermail/extropy-chat/attachments/20120227/abcada7e/attachment.html>