Indego will allow the paralyzed to walk

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The first robotic exoskeleton for clinical and personal use, intended for paraplegics, will soon be marketed on the global medical market. It will bear the name of Indego. A kind of dream that becomes reality, because the latter will be able to give these people the chance to walk alone and independently.

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Exoskeleton: hope for paraplegics

After 10 years of research, development, clinical trials on 1,200 patients, the United States Food and Drug Administration approved this exoskeleton designed by a team of researchers from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.

His name is Indego, and he is the second exoskeleton in America to receive FDA approval for clinical and personal use. So, it will allow paralyzed people below the waist to be able to stand up, walk and walk independently.

How does Indego work?

The principle is simple: leaning forward, the person using the wearable will move forward; by leaning back it can be lowered and seated, and can be raised by leaning forward. The paralyzed person will be able to walk on their own legs.

The exoskeleton consists of a rigid frame that attaches around the legs, knees and hips, as well as a "belt" around the torso. Crutches will also help the wearer to keep his balance. Indego has a rechargeable battery, which can be removed and replaced when empty.

Finally, the amount of robotic assistance will be determined directly by the wearable according to the individual and his needs. The exoskeleton incorporates a technology to electrically stimulate its wearer. This will allowactivate the paralyzed man’s nerves, contract his muscles with small electrical shocks, and thereby increase his strength, allow him to have better blood circulation as well as reduce muscle atrophy.

Availability of Indego

Michel Goldfarb, the engineering professor behind the project, hopes that the project will benefit as many people as possible. Indego is currently available in Europe, since November 2015, but its cost is absolutely staggering: 80,000 dollars one, or almost 72,000 euros.

Its creators hope that it will soon be covered by health insurance, in order to benefit everyone as fairly and as possible.

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