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Rehabilitation
Institute of Chicago Develops Robotic Walking Aid
The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago has introduced a new technology,
known as Lokomat, that may help people with spinal cord injury regain
lower limb locomotion. The device consists of a powered exoskeleton
robot that delivers power to the hip and knee joints while the user’s
upper-body weight is supported over a treadmill. Dr. David Chen, medical
director of the Institute’s Spinal Cord Injury Program, hopes
the device will be useful for people with partial spinal cord injuries
to redevelop and regain functional walking patterns. He tested the
device with Dr. Suzy Kim, a paraplegic.
Chen believes the robotic system improves upon “passive walking”
approaches in use elsewhere, in which a pair of physical therapists
move the patient’s legs. He says the weight-bearing exercise
helps paraplegics combat muscle atrophy and the threat of osteoporosis.
Pending FDA approval, the Institute hopes to begin a clinical training
program within the next two years. |
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