Singapore Programme To Assess Use Of Exoskeletons In Rehabilitation Care

A new pilot in Singapore will assess the use and scalability of exoskeletons in rehabilitation care across various healthcare institutions, including a hospital, nursing home, and stroke support group. Led by the Temasek Foundation and Trailblazer Foundation, the programme aims to extend adoption of the technology within the local community and help more patients regain their mobility. 

Called Improving Mobility Via Exoskeletons (iMOVE), the clinical study will deploy three exoskeletons--manufactured by Ekso Bionics--across five sites under the National University Health System (NUHS): Alexandra Hospital, NTUC Health, St Luke's Eldercare, St Luke's Hospital, and Stroke Support Station. 

"It will study patient outcomes and assess the viability and potential for scaling-up the use of robotic exoskeletons across the continuum of rehabilitation care from hospital to community," said Ekso Bionics, which added that the trial would focus on patients suffering from stroke and spinal cord injuries, in particular, the elderly. 

The pilot would mobilise the EksoGT model, which had been certified for use with such injuries from L5 to C7. With Ekso's SmartAssist software, the exoskeleton can provide "adaptive amounts of power" to either side of the patient's body and is able to mobilise patients earlier and more frequently. According to the US company, the device has aided patients in taking 100 million steps across 260 rehabilitation facilities worldwide. 

Temasek Foundation added that the exoskeletons could send data immediately to physical therapists as they worked with their patients, hence, enabling the former to make adjustments during the training session. "This makes rehabilitation sessions more intense and aids in quicker and better recovery," it said. 

The role of such technology would be crucial as Singapore worked to support growing rehabilitation needs as its population aged, Chan Heng Kee, permanent secretary for Singapore's Ministry of Health, said at the launch. He noted that the number of new stroke cases in the city-state had climbed to 7,400 each year, from 5,500, in the last decade and a quarter of these patients would undergo rehabilitation after resolving the initial medical issues. 

Traditionally a labour-intensive activity, rehabilitation could be improved and be less dependent on manpower resources with the use of technology, ranging from virtual reality, to robots, and exoskeletons, Chan said. "When properly deployed, technology can make rehab more accessible and fun, hence, improving patient compliance. It also has the potential to improve diagnosis, monitoring, and therapy effectiveness," he said. 

Chan added that findings from the iMOVE trial would ensure the technology could produce better patient results and cost effectiveness before scaling up its adoption. 

According to local reports, the programme aimed to recruit 400 patients--the majority of whom would be at least 66 years old--and include 100 who would have no access to the exoskeleton so they would serve as the control group. Temasek Foundation and Trailblazer Foundation would set aside S$1.34 million over two years to fund the study, including the purchase of exoskeletons and training of 12 therapists who would use the suits. 

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