NIH Awards Grant for Pediatric Exoskeletons
Photo courtesy Ekso Bionics.
Ekso Bionics was awarded a P20 exploratory grant from the National Institutes of Health to develop a pediatric version of its Ekso GT robotic exoskeleton in collaboration with the pediatric rehabilitation department at the University of California San Francisco Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland.
Working with the hospital will allow integration of the exoskeleton into an established rehabilitation practice for children with neurological disorders that affect gait, such as spinal cord injury, stroke, traumatic brain injury and cerebral palsy, according to a company press release. Doctors at the hospital will provide input on clinical testing and implementation of the suits.
The first suits will be designed for children ages 5 to 8 between 42 and 50 inches tall and weighing 40 to 56 pounds.
“This NIH grant and partnership with UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland gives us the real opportunity to intervene early in a child’s life and potentially help them improve their walking skills and overall quality of life,” says Director of Research Ekso Bionics Katie Strausser.
