The FDA-cleared HAL (Hybrid Assistive Limb) robotic SCI treatment device, developed by Japan-based Cyberdyne Inc, is now available in the United States via a partnership with Brooks Rehabilitation.
Patients with spinal cord injury can now access HAL at the Brooks Cybernic Treatment Center in Jacksonville, Fla, which is reportedly the only facility in the US that offers this treatment, according to a news release.
“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,” says Dr Geneva Tonuzi, medical director of the Brooks Cybernic Treatment Center, in the release.
“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.”
Recently implemented in Japan, Germany and other countries, HAL fits to the patient’s lower limbs and trunk, and operates using internal signals from the body. The device’s movements are neurologically controlled by the patient’s volition, and use of its secondary Biofeedback Device features allows the patient to see and adjust the signals they are producing.
“Wearing HAL leads to a fusion of human, robot, and information systems,” states Yoshiyuki Sankai, president and CEO of Cyberdyne Inc and professor at the University of Tsukuba Japan.
“I’m pleased that Cybernic Technology will now benefit patients in the US, helping to improve their walking ability as well as gain other functional and physiological benefits,” he adds.
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, per the release.
[Source(s): Brooks Rehabilitation, PR Newswire]
