Ekso Bionics Holdings Inc has announced that SPC Nottwill, reportedly one of the largest of Switzerland’s four special clinics for para- and tetraplegics, has finished training its team of physiotherapists with the Ekso GT robotic exoskeleton, and has booked patients to learn how to walk again.

A news release issued by Ekso Bionics, Richmond, Calif, states that SPC Nottwill consistently treats more than 70% of all people with spinal paralysis in Switzerland and are fully occupied year round. The facility has joined a group of European centers with an Ekso robotic exoskeleton already in use, including Insitut Guttman in Spain, The Clinic for Spinal Cord Injuries in Hornbaek, Denmark, and part of Glostrup Hospital.

Nate Harding, Ekso Bionics, CEO, calls the offering of Ekso in the rehabilitation hospitals, “a huge accomplishment.”

“The fact that such leading centers purchased our devices and are making our device available to their patients is exciting…” Harding adds.

The release reports that recent studies in Europe suggest the Ekso GT robotic exoskeleton provides a range of potential benefits in neurorehabilitation. During a study conducted at BG Hospital Bergmannstrost Halle, in which researchers measured quality of life, patients stated that their pain was reduced thanks to walking in an Ekso Bionics robotic exoskeleton. Bergmannstrost also noted a reduction in spasticity and an overall improvement in quality of life. All 13 subjects, the release says, stated that the ability to stand and walk over ground and “look someone in the eye” again provided a positive impact on mental wellbeing.

Source: Ekso Bionics Holdings Inc