President Barack Obama recently received a demonstration ARGO Medical Technologies’ ReWalk exoskeleton during his tour of the Technology Expo in Jerusalem, Israel, held March 21. The session was reportedly hosted by Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. According to a recent news release, the concept for the ReWalk device stemmed from its inventor and Technion alumni, Amit Goffer’s, PhD, own experience as a quadriplegic.
Goffer articulates his honor in presenting the ReWalk technology to President Obama, adding, “This device is already improving the quality of life for many people and we look forward to seeing its continued expansion around the world including in the US where we are awaiting FDA clearance for daily personal use.”
The release notes that paraplegics Radi Kaiuf, Israeli Army veteran, and Theresa Hannigan, US Army veteran, who served during the Vietnam-era, demonstrated the technology, which has allowed them to stand and walk independently.
Hannigan trains with the ReWalk at the Spinal Cord Damage Research Center at the James J. Peters VA Medical Center in the Bronx, New York, and emphasizes her pride in demonstrating the technology for President Obama, “that will benefit the lives of many men and women who have been impacted by spinal cord injuries.”
ARGO reports that since its 2001 inception, it has expanded into a global company featuring 30 ReWalk Centers and 220 trained ReWalkers worldwide. The company now has a US-based headquarters in Marlborough, Mass. The ReWalk Personal, for use in the home, available in Israel, Europe, pending FDA review in the US, and the ReWalk Rehabilitation, now available in Israel, Europe, and the US, are the two models of the device marketed by ARGO.
Source: ARGO Medical Technologies
