Bryan Health’s new Eksoskeleton technology, a computerized walking frame, is helping people to walk once more.
Following a traumatic event such as a stroke or injury to the brain or spine, “Ekso” as it’s affectionately known, benefits patients regaining their mobility. The device supports the patient’s body weight during the arduous process and as Ekso moves, it monitors the patient’s position and encourages a normal walking pattern. Ekso is also capable of enhancing muscle and nerve recovery to help patients walk longer distances and can be customized to an individual patient’s needs to reduce the risk of falling.
More than just a hypothetical tool, Ekso has already been used practically. After Brian Carlson of Wahoo was left with a rare neurological condition called Guillain-Barre syndrome as a result of COVID-19, he had to learn how to walk all over again. Specialists at Bryan Health used Ekso to help him need less and less assistance over time. In October, Carlson returned to his family and is living life as he did before his illness.
Brian Carlson in and out of Ekso; courtesy of Bryan Health