Stroke patients in the US could soon take advantage of cutting-edge robotics during the recovery process. The Food and Drug Administration cleared Wandercraft’s Atalante exoskeleton for use in stroke rehabilitation. The machine can help with intensive gait training, especially for people with limited upper body mobility that might preclude the use of other methods.
The current generation Atalante is a battery-powered, self-balancing device with an adjustable gait that can help with first steps to a more natural walk later in therapy. While the hardware still needs to be used in a clinical setting with the help of a therapist, its hands-free use allows patients to restore their gait whether or not they can use their arms.
Wandercraft plans to deliver its first exoskeletons to the US in the first quarter of the year, though it did not name initial customers. It recently launched its commercial business in the country, but financial backer Quadrant Management says Wandercraft could “significantly scale” its operations in the next year or two.
FDA-approved exoskeletons are still relatively rare and are still limited to helping with specific conditions. Last June, Ekso Bionics received permission to market its EksoNR device for the rehabilitation of multiple sclerosis. Wandercraft’s approval makes the technology accessible to a broader range of patients and may be especially helpful where stroke is a major cause of long-term disability in the US More than 795,000 people experience a stroke every year in the country; this could help some of them to regain freedom of movement.
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