Getting Back on Two Feet Again

These amazing stories do exist; people who were told by doctors that they would never walk again and a few years later are back on their feet and moving around independently.
 
That is exactly what happened to Rashide Serifi (age 25). When giving birth to her son four years ago she was given an epidural injection for the pain, which caused meningitis. This was followed by six operations, long stays in the hospital, and finally the diagnosis: paraplegia. Bacteria had invaded her spine and caused a build-up of pus. Doctors told her that she would now be confined to a wheelchair. Serifi was not prepared to accept this outcome.
 
Rapid Progress on Machines
Serifi found a therapy center in Germany, where she received intensive training with therapists and robotic equipment. The machines allowed Serifi to train much longer and harder than with the support of a therapist alone. This took her to her physical limits time and time again, allowing her to strengthen her legs and core muscles. After several months, the young mother took her first steps with the help of crutches. A little later, she was even able to cover short distances without support.
 
Robotic rehabilitation is relatively new. Nevertheless, specialists are becoming more and more aware of its significance, and many therapy centers are now using these aids. Swiss company Hocoma’s products are often the ones used. Rashide Serifi did all of her therapy on these devices, from the first phase through to out-patient treatment.
 
The devices have very different roles to play in the various stages of therapy. Hocoma’s range of robotic solutions is comprised of the following:
 

Erigo: A device for the early stages of patient rehabilitation. Patients lie on the table and are secured in place with straps. The Erigo then brings the person into a vertical position. At the same time, the device moves the patient’s legs in a cyclical motion, which promotes circulation in the extremities. The muscles can also be given electrical stimulation.
 
Lokomat: Traditional robotic gait therapy on a treadmill. The patient is suspended in a harness system, while their legs are moved by an exoskeleton. The robot’s walking pattern mirrors a natural gait. In addition, the patient is able to shift their weight independently, which serves to improve their sense of balance.
 
Andago: This new machine holds the patients in a harness system and follows them around the room. The user doesn’t need to be afraid of falling and can move around freely and independently – even over small obstacles. The Andago closes the gap between treadmill training and free walking.
 
Armeo: For arm therapy, there is the Armeo, a robotic arm exoskeleton. Three different versions are available. In the model required for the early stages of therapy, the joints are driven by motors and the patient receives considerable support. Six degrees of freedom ensure a large radius of movement. In other models, the support is minimal. Patients have to work using their own strength, which yields great progress.
 
Robotics Allow for More Intensive Therapy
“Our robotic devices alone don’t perform miracles,” said Matthias Jörg, developer and founder of Hocoma. “However, they facilitate much more intensive therapy, and that is key. When a child learns to walk, they don’t do it once or twice a week, but rather practice more or less around the clock.” Robotic devices also make it easy to measure progress made, and motivate patients with fun incentives.
 
The success speaks for itself. More and more clinics and rehabilitation centers are using Hocoma products. Around the world, over 2,000 units are now being used to treat neurological movement disorders, strokes, and incomplete paraplegia.
 
Easy Control of DC Motors
All of these robotic mobilization devices are equipped with maxon drives and controllers. Hocoma and the Swiss drive specialist have a long-standing relationship. “We really enjoy working together. maxon offers a variety of solutions, and also allows for individual adjustments,” said Jörg. He and his colleagues in development particularly appreciate the drives’ high power density and dynamics. In addition, brushed DC motors are easy to control. In both the Lokomat and the Erigo, Hocoma uses maxon’s RE 40 motors to move knees or hips. These are powerful and dynamic drives that, with the help of their ironless winding and high-grade magnets, achieve an efficiency of over 90 percent.
 
Hocoma’s plans for the future of robotic mobilization equipment are focused on positioning itself even more firmly as a full-service provider. The aim is to harmonize the various devices perfectly with one another, and cover the entire range of therapy. More than 2,000 of the Swiss company’s products are already in use worldwide, and this figure is on the rise.