Cyberdyne (Tokyo: 7779; OTC: CYBQY), the Japanese medical technology company, announced a partnership today with Brooks Rehabilitation, an industry leader in post-acute physical rehabilitation, to introduce the first advanced robotic treatment device that has been shown to improve a patient’s ability to walk. Individuals with spinal cord injuries can now access Cyberdyne’s HAL device – Hybrid Assistive Limb – at the Brooks Cybernic Treatment Center in Jacksonville, Florida, the only facility in the US offering this innovative treatment. With its corporate name and signature medical technology, Cyberdyne evokes both “The Terminator” and “2001: A Space Odyssey” as it embarks on marketing in the US.
Source: KGUN 9 TV, Tucson, Arizona
Recently implemented in Japan, Germany and other countries, HAL was approved by the FDA in December 2017 for US marketing. The device attaches to the patient’s lower limbs and trunk and operates using internal signals from the body. This powered lower extremity exoskeleton is unique from any other exoskeleton treatment available today because the device’s movements are neurologically controlled by the patient’s own volition. Additionally, HAL’s secondary Biofeedback Device enables the patient to see and adjust the produced signals. This functional integration of human neural pathways with modern technology is a landmark advancement for spinal cord injury patients nationwide.
Source: Brooks Rehabilitation
We’ve already seen the results of improved mobility and ability to walk in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) at several international locations that are providing this technology. We are thrilled to finally have this unique technology available here at Brooks Rehabilitation as it opens the door to more research and treatment methods in advancing spinal cord injury treatment.
– Dr. Geneva Tonuzi, Medical Director, Brooks Cybernic Treatment Center
Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL)
- Sensors attach to the patient’s lower extremities.
- When the patient intends to move, muscles receive nerve signals from the brain, and faint bio-electrical signals are detected on the skin’s surface.
- HAL uses sensors to detect these signals and assists with desired movements, while also enhancing strength and stability.
- Active use of neural pathways for voluntary movement with physical feedback to the brain leads to improved ability for the patient to walk on their own.
Wearing HAL leads to a fusion of human, robot, and information systems. I’m pleased that Cybernic Technology will now benefit patients in the U.S., helping to improve their walking ability as well as gain other functional and physiological benefits.
– Yoshiyuki Sankai, PhD, President and CEO, Cyberdyne, and Professor at the University of Tsukuba.
Patients who participate in HAL treatments at the Brooks Cybernic Treatment Center can also choose to share their treatment data for clinical research trials that further evaluate the benefits of HAL interventions and future improvement opportunities.
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