May 8 2019
Ekso Bionics Holdings, Inc. an industry leader in exoskeleton technology for industrial and medical use, recently reported that the National University Health System (NUHS) in Singapore has adopted three EksoGT exoskeletons for a revolutionary clinical study. NUHS is one of the first national health systems in Asia to research how advanced exoskeleton technology can enhance mobility and rehabilitation results, and the first to research about it across the full continuum of care.
The Improving Mobility via Exoskeletons (iMOVE) program, aided by Temasek Foundation and Trailblazer Foundation Limited, will research patient outcomes and evaluate the viability and possibility for scaling-up the use of robotic exoskeletons across the range of rehabilitation care from hospital to community. The research will concentrate on patients suffering from spinal cord injuries and stroke, particularly for the elderly. The three EksoGT devices will be used at several NUHS partner sites including Alexandra Hospital, NTUC Health, St Luke’s Hospital, St Luke’s Eldercare, and Stroke Support Station.
The iMOVE program was launched recently by Mr. Chan Heng Kee, Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Health, along with Professor John Wong Eu Li, Chief Executive of National University Hospital System and Mr. Richard Magnus, Chairman of Temasek Foundation.
We are delighted to be part of a program that will facilitate greater treatment accessibility in Singapore. Globally 15 million people suffer from a stroke every year; Asia is more than half the world’s population with a rapidly aging population in many countries. With aging, mobility becomes a big challenge. The core mission of Ekso is to help people re-learn how to stand and walk after a stroke or spinal cord injury. We want the EksoGT systems to be widely accessible to people who never thought they could walk or stand up again. This will serve as a solid platform for our growth in Asia.
Lim Chwee Foon, President, Asia Pacific, Ekso Bionics
With Ekso Bionics’ latest expansion plan in Asia Pacific, EksoGTs are currently deployed in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Australia. Thus far, EksoGT has assisted patients to take more than 100 million steps in over 260 rehabilitation organizations worldwide.