Recently Val Brown from Ekso Bionics visited the Rehabilitation Institute, bringing a wearable bionic suit with her. A bionic suit? Yeah we get it, right now you are imagining an Astronaut or Iron Man, well not quiet. The bionic suit is more of an exoskeleton that allows individuals with any amount of lower extremity weakness to stand up and walk with a natural weight bearing gait. (No Arc Reactor needed.)
Ekso Bionics hit the ground running in 2005 with strong partnerships and research grants. They were able to apply the current technology to redefine physical limitations and allow patients to achieve remarkable goals. They didn't just stop at giving wheelchair users a chance to walk with ELEGS they went on to create EKSO, EXOHIKER, and EXOCLIMBER. As of December 2012 Ekso Bionics helped users take 1 million steps they may not have been able to take other wise. Starting this year EKSO is now being implemented in rehabilitative and medical facilities across the world.
So by now I'm sure your next question is who is it for? Ekso is a gait training exoskeleton designed to be used under medical supervision for patients with various levels of paralysis due to stroke, spinal cord injury or disease, traumatic brain injury, and more. The EKSO does far more than allowing patients to walk when used in rehabilitative settings. The EKSO retrains the patient a proper gait, step pattern, and step dosage. The bionic suit also helps the patient support and position the rest of their body. During the session information is gathered based on steps and balance while in the suit that the patient and their therapist can review before their next session to continue improvement. Ekso Bionics may be a new technology but it has already brought so much to the lives of patients that thought they would otherwise not be able to walk again.
Again, thank you Val Brown for coming by with the EKSO last week it was a great experience for our patients and staff!
All information and more pictures on Ekso Bionics can be found on their website!
To see the EKSO suit in action at R!KC visit our Facebook page!
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