Each year, as many as 500,000 individuals experience a spinal cord injury, and 15 million people suffer a stroke.
Many people are now getting the chance to take their next steps forward with the help of EksoGT.
EksoGT is the first robotic exoskeleton to be granted clearance for rehabilitation purposes for use with stroke patients and with patients who have had spinal cord injuries — helping patients get back on their feet sooner, promoting better patient outcomes.
For patients who never thought they would walk or stand again, EksoGT offers the chance for greater mobility and independence.
“I’m a 34-year-old stroke survivor. I had three major strokes in 2016. Ekso really gave me the opportunity to feel what it was like to stand upright, have proper balance and the momentum of feeling what it was like to walk correctly again. There is hope after the stroke,” said Jess McNair.
“I’m paralyzed from my belly button down. I think the EksoGT has reminded the body how it’s supposed to move,” said Kim Ocampo. “And it also has reminded me mentally of the motion of walking. What I really like about it is that the machine helps me to walk with better posture.”
EksoGT delivers enabling technology with the following features:
- 100% weight bearing promotes early mobility and correct posture
- Handheld controller with tactile buttons allows real-time adjustments to an exoskeleton during rehabilitation
- Removable battery sets allow minimal disruptions to rehab sessions and are easy to replace
- Software enables personalization and customization during rehabilitation sessions
- PreGait software allows for weight-shifting, side-stepping, marching and squats
- FreeGait software allows for trajectory-free gait training
- Utilization data provides metrics for rehab clinician
- Cloud-based platform with secure, de-identified data
Clinical evidence shows that including EksoGT gait training:
- Improves patient gait speed and walking distance outside of the device at discharge compared to admission
- Improves independence in functional mobility for stroke patients
- May improve walking function outside the device for stroke patients
- Positively impacts patient engagement, with greater than 88% positive responses from patients undergoing rehabilitation as reported by physical therapists
The EksoGT is installed in more than 200 clinical centers worldwide, and more than 90 million steps have been taken by stroke patients and those who have spinal cord injuries.
The developer of EksoGT is Ekso Bionics, a leading developer of exoskeleton solutions that amplify human potential by supporting or enhancing strength, endurance and mobility across medical and industrial commercial applications. In 2016, Ekso Bionics received the first FDA clearance exoskeleton with EksoGT, which is the most clinically-used exoskeleton today.
It’s the world’s first commercially-available robotic exoskeleton that is FDA approved for individuals with hemiplegia due to stroke, individuals with spinal cord injuries at levels T4 to L5 and individuals with spinal cord injuries at levels C7 to T3.
“I’m excited that I can get a patient to actually walk over ground, fully weight bearing, and a robot provides the graded amount of assistance that patient needs, and that’s amazing,” said physical therapist Erin Rogers. “It really excites me about where we’re going with technology, especially in the neurological population and what we can do with robotics.”
To learn more about the EksoGT, visit https://eksobionics.com/.