Exoskeleton Technology – Helping Paraplegics Walk Again

As technologies become more and more advanced new techniques for treating injury are constantly being developed. In 2011 the Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Center became one of only 30 hospitals in the world to test, and offer to a select few patients, a new tool that could changes the lives of paraplegic patients.

The robotics company Ekso Bionic has developed a battery-powered, robotic exoskeleton which enables patients who have lost function in their lower body to walk again. The suit, called Ekso, is a 50 pound framework made of aluminium and titanium that is controlled by a handheld remote. The patient's lower body is strapped into the suit which then uses 15 sensors to ascertain when the user is in a stable position. Pushing a button triggers the Ekso to then take a step forward. Initially only a therapeutic tool for use in rehabilitation centres, select patients are now being chosen to use the device at home.

One such patient is architect Robert Woo who became paralysed in 2007 due to an injury in the workplace. An accident, in which several tons of metal studs fell onto the trailer in which Woo was working, left him paralysed from the chest down and having to use a wheelchair to get around. The new technology has allowed him to travel around on his own two feet with the aid of forearm crutches. Following trials of the Ekso technology, Woo became on of the first people in the United States to be certified to purchase a similar technology, the ReWalk Personal 6.0 System, to use at home.

Alongside the new-found independence that the system has given him, it has also had unexpected effects on his body. Whereas prior to testing the walking technology Woo was incapable of any movement below the chest, he has found that with frequent use of the ReWalk system his upper leg muscles have begun to regain functionality. Although he still relies on the robotic support to walk the process has given him back enough muscle strength that he can now independently lift his legs while sitting.

The technology is still relatively and new each unit costs around $100,000 however, as developments continue the hope is that demand for the walking aid will increase. This in turn will increase production and thus bring the price down, making it easier for more patients to afford this life-changing device.