For the first time in history, robotic legs have been approved by U.S. regulators for human use.This comes as great news for people with spinal cord injuries (levels T7 and Level 5). Check out more info about this new breakthrough below via Bloomberg!
[Bloomberg Excerpt]
–“The device, called ReWalk, is a motorized “exoskeleton” approved for those whose lower body is paralyzed from a spinal cord injury, theFood and Drug Administration said yesterday in a statement. The product, from closely held Argo Medical Technologies Inc., consists of a fitted, metal brace; motors at the hips, knees and ankles; and a backpack that contains the computer and power supply.
About 200,000 people in the U.S. are living with a spinal injury, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ReWalk weighs 46 pounds, only 5 pounds of which users feel from the backpack, according to Argo, based in Marlborough, Massachusetts. The personal system costs $69,500, the company said.
“For the first time individuals with paraplegia will be able to take home this exoskeleton technology, use it every day and maximize on the physiological and psychological benefits we have observed in clinical trials,” Larry Jasinski, Argo Medical’s chief executive officer, said in a statement.
Patients use crutches to provide additional stability and a remote control on their wrist to command ReWalk to stand, sit or walk, the FDA said. The device is custom-fit for each user, and patients and their caregivers must undergo training to use the product.
The device was developed by Argo Medical founderAmit Goffer in 2001 after he was paralyzed in an accident with an all-terrain vehicle, according to the company’s statement. ReWalk has been available inEurope since 2012.”–
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