UK Clinical Trials Testing Robotic Legs That Might Allow Patients to Walk Hands-Free

Stuart SchlossmanComplementary & Alternative therapies and devices for Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

                                                                  


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May 17, 2016


The first U.K. clinical trials of robotic legs that might allow people with mobility impairment to move — hands-free — are underway at the University of Kent.

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Clinicians and engineers at Kent are carrying out the study in a partnership with the East Kent Hospital’s University Foundation Trust (EKHUFT). Scientists in the School of Engineering and Digital Arts (EDA) will examine the impact such simple freedom has on patients, both physically and mentally, noting that if the trial finds these exoskeletons effective, they have the potential to improve the health of people with paralysis due to a variety of causes, from multiple sclerosis, motor neuron disease, and stroke, to trauma suffered in accidents or war.

Sandy Fleming, with  University of Kent News, notes that increasing numbers of wheelchair users cannot walk at all, and sitting for extended periods places them at risk of complications. Walking assisted by these robotic legs could help diminish these risks, in addition to improving the patient’s independence and quality of life.

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