CENTER VALLEY, Pa. — Good Shepherd Rehabilitation in Center Valley, Lehigh County, introduced the latest in robotic technology Wednesday.
A Good Shepherd representative said this is the company's first lower-body exoskeleton, which can help people with spinal cord injuries or strokes walk.
It's the same technology that French Paralympians made history last month when they took part in the Olympic torch relay in the run up to the Summer Olympics in their native France, where experts say they were the first to use the hands-free device clinically in the country.
Beginning this summer, Good Shepherd Rehabilitation's clinical team began piloting WonderCraft's Atalante-X technology with inpatient rehabilitation patients at Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital, according to a news release from Good Shepherd Rehabilitation.
Officials said the exoskeleton will be available to outpatient neurorehabilitation patients this fall at Good Shepherd's Highland Health and Technology Center, 850 S. Fifth Avenue in Allentown.
The hands-free robotic exoskeleton allows patients with severe disabilities to stand and walk under the guidance of Good Shepherd therapists. Benefits of the hands-free exoskeleton include improved endurance, increased steps while walking, increased flexibility, use of the hands during functional balance activities, and management of pain and spasm, according to a news release.
WonderCraft's technology, available in the U.S., Europe and South America, was brought to Good Shepherd courtesy of the Fleming Rehabilitation Robotics Center, a hub dedicated to identifying and testing robotic and wearable technologies to further deliver cutting-edge rehabilitation care and contribute to the future of rehabilitation, officials said.
“We're excited about the potential this new type of exoskeleton has to revolutionize patient care,” said Emily Reiter, MD, PT, administrative director of Good Shepherd Learns, Creates and Research, the team that oversees Good Shepherd's Fleming Center. “Without the need to use crutches or a walker for balance, Atalante allows for a greater variety of movement patterns used in daily life. In addition to walking, patients can practice activities of daily living like reaching for a cup in the cupboard, setting the table or even playing a modified game of pickleball.”
Reiter added: “Thanks to the incredible support of the Fleming Rehabilitation Robotics Center and the Fleming Foundation, we are able to test, trial and implement new technologies for our patients.”
Kevin Auld demonstrated the Empower+ technology at Good Shepherd's Center Valley campus on Aug. 28. Auld suffered a spinal cord injury in a snowmobile accident several years ago that left him paralyzed.
“It feels really good to stand up,” a smiling Ort said to the assembled crowd.
For more information about Good Shepherd Rehabilitation, visit their website or call 1-888-447-3422 (44-REHAB).
