New Levels of Autonomy for Patients Wearing Upgraded Bionic Walking Suit "Ekso"

RICHMOND, California, August 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Plus New Ways to Understand and Share Your Progress

Ekso Bionics today announced that it has begun shipping an upgraded version of Ekso™, the bionic suit that powers up patients with spinal cord injuries and pathologies to get them standing up and walking again. Each Ekso now comes equipped with three new walking modes for progressive rehabilitation options, in addition to EksoPulse™, a wireless networked usage monitor. Patients will have new challenges as they master each level and more control of the suit as they become more adept. Also, Ekso now provides both the patient and the physical therapist with better insights into that patient's headway.

Ekso is a ready-to-wear, battery-powered bionic suit - or exoskeleton - that is strapped over the user's clothing. The device transfers its 45 lb. load directly to the ground, so the patient doesn't bear the weight. Each Ekso can be adjusted in a few minutes to fit most people weighing 220 pounds or less, and between 5'2" and 6'2", with at least partial upper body strength. The patient provides the balance and proper body positioning, and Ekso facilitates walking over ground with reciprocal gait.

"With this upgrade, clinicians using Ekso can now empower their patients even more by teaching them to control the suit autonomously, thereby giving them greater independence," said Eythor Bender, Ekso Bionics' CEO.

"As the patient gains confidence and familiarity with walking, Ekso now permits them to graduate to a next level, and then another," explained Darrell Musick, clinical director at Ekso Bionics. "This comfortable experience-based progression allows for sequentially-increased freedom and better control. The patients love it."

Ekso's Three New Walking Modes: 

FirstStep™

Using a control pad, the physical therapist programs the desired walking parameters - such as step length and speed - and triggers each new step when the patient has either shifted weight into the correct position or verbalized when ready.

ActiveStep™

With ActiveStep, intermediate patients are able to trigger their next step with a button on the crutch handle or walker. This frees the therapist's hands to teach the patient how to shift weight to find the balance point.

ProStep™

Once patients have learned how to maintain their balance in Ekso, they are ready to use ProStep. By leaning forward and shifting weight laterally, the user sends a signal to Ekso, which then responds by automatically taking a step. For added safety, the device must first recognize when the user is in the correct position. Another benefit of the upgraded Ekso is that a faster, smoother gait may be attained. A physical therapist is still necessary to spot the Ekso user at this time.

EksoPulse™

How many steps did the patient take and on what day? How long was each step? Ekso now gathers usage statistics automatically during each Ekso walking session and transmits them to a cloud server accessible via secure login. It is expected that EksoPulse will provide valuable medical outcome information that will support claims and reimbursement, while improving both the physical therapist and the patient's comprehension and control of the walking process.

Six months after the first commercial unit was shipped, Ekso is already in use at 14 of the most respected and admired rehabilitation centers in the world: Craig Hospital (Denver, CO), Good Shepherd Penn Partners (Philadelphia, PA), Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network (Allentown, PA), Huntington Memorial Hospital (Pasadena, CA), Integris Jim Thorpe Rehabilitation Hospital (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma), Kessler Foundation (West Orange, NJ), L'Istituto Prosperius (Tiberino, Italy), (Mount Sinai Hospital (New York, NY), Rehabilitation Hospital of the Pacific (Honolulu, HI), Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (Chicago, IL), Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan (Detroit, MI), Santa Clara Valley Medical Center (San Jose, CA), Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital (Boston, MA), and TIRR Memorial Hermann (Houston, TX).

Contact:
Ekso Bionics
Claudia Nanau, Marketing Communications Manager EMEA, Tel. +44(0)75900-75012
E-Mail: CNanau@eksobionics.com, Web: http://www.eksobionics.com