Cherry Injury Law RSS Feed
With the help of a bionic exoskeleton, a 43-year-old architect injured in a construction site accident was recently able to walk again.
The technology offers hope that people with paraplegia may be able to walk independently in the near future. Currently, Ekso is not available for consumer use at home. However, the manufacturer, Ekso Bionics, thinks it will be ready for home use in 2013.
The injured architect tested the device at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Manhattan. The hospital may purchase one of the devices, which cost roughly $100,000, for its rehabilitation medicine department.
Currently, the device straps onto the patient’s back and sides. It includes 15 sensors, lithium batteries, a small computer and two motors. A physical therapist operates a hand-held controller, which allows the person wearing the device to walk.
The architect has walked upright in the past using manual braces and crutches, but he said the Ekso device offers a smoother pace. In his initial trial, he walked for 11 minutes and stood for a total of 25 minutes.
Another Mount Sinai Medical Center patient said the device initially felt as if someone was grabbing his legs and propelling them forward.
Ekso Bionics officials said their goal is to make the device small enough to fit under the owner’s pants. They also hope the owner will eventually be able to operate the controls without assistance.
The 43-year-old man has been paralyzed since December of 2007. He was working at a construction site in Lower Manhattan when a crane dropped seven tons of steel on the trailer where he was working.
The man said he would like to purchase an Ekso when it is available for use at home. But for now he told reporters that he was just happy to have taken his first smooth steps in years.
Source: The New York Times, “Walking Again, With Help From an Exoskeleton,” Matt Flegenheimer, Nov. 3, 2011.