STAMFORD, Conn., May 04, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SoldierStrong, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing advanced medical technologies to veterans, today announced that it will donate an Ekso GT™ exoskeleton to Magee Rehabilitation Hospital with a live demonstration on Wednesday, May 4, 2016 at noon. Former Magee patient Frank LaMacchia, who previously sustained a spinal cord injury, will stand up and walk above ground using the Ekso GT.
Ekso Bionics’ (OTCQB:EKSO) Ekso GT is the first and only robotic exoskeleton to be granted clearance for rehabilitation purposes for use with patients who have had a stroke and spinal cord injury. This broader clearance means that clinics using the Ekso GT are able to offer exoskeletal therapy to the widest patient population among all exoskeletons on the market.
“We are thrilled to expand the robotics offerings at Magee with the addition of the Ekso, which will help us to optimize outcomes for an even broader patient population,” Dr. Jack Carroll, President and CEO of Magee Rehabilitation Hospital says. “Magee is proud to provide state-of-the-art therapeutic technology to its patients, such as the Ekso GT, which we can now use to help rehabilitate stroke patients. The positive impact of this device on our patients’ self-esteem and emotional wellbeing, in addition to their physical recovery, is profound, and we thank SoldierStrong for this generous donation.”
Ekso GT is a wearable robotic suit, or exoskeleton, that enables people with paralysis of the lower limbs due to stroke or spinal cord injury to stand up and walk over ground. The Ekso GT with smart VariableAssist™ software is the only exoskeleton available for rehabilitation institutions that can provide adaptive amounts of power to either side of the patient’s body, challenging the patient as they progress through their continuum of care. The suit’s patented technology provides physical therapists the ability to mobilize patients earlier, more frequently and with a greater number of high intensity steps.
“We are pleased to support Magee Rehabilitation Hospital with this donation to help enhance the journey to recovery for many of their patients, including those who suffered stroke, for whom there was no such therapy previously available” said Chris Meek, co-founder and Chairman of SoldierStrong. “This donation comes in time for Stroke Awareness Month this May, which is the perfect opportunity to educate the public about the prevalence of this injury and the availability of new medical technologies to assist in improved recovery.”
SoldierStrong is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization whose mission is to improve the lives of the men and the women of the United States Armed Forces. Magee is committed to providing veterans with disabilities access to this highly innovative, technologically advanced robotic device to assist them with their therapy and functional recovery.
About Magee Rehabilitation Hospital
Magee Rehabilitation Hospital, a founding member of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation’s NeuroRecovery Network, is the Philadelphia region’s original provider of physical and cognitive rehabilitation. The not-for-profit hospital provides nationally-recognized lifetime rehabilitation and wellness programs for individuals with spinal cord injury, brain injury, stroke, orthopedic joint replacement, amputation, pain management, and work injury. Since 1978, Magee has partnered with Thomas Jefferson University Hospital to form The Regional Spinal Cord Injury Center of the Delaware Valley, one of only 14 federally designated model systems of care in the country.
About SoldierStrong
SoldierStrong, previously known as SoldierSocks, helps American patriots literally take their new steps forward. Through educational scholarships and by harnessing the most innovative technology in advanced rehabilitation, we help our returning service men and women to continue moving in the only direction they should know – forward. Nearly every dollar SoldierStrong receives goes towards direct support of American patriots so that they can re-acclimate to civilian life. Our organization works to remind those men and women who sacrificed so much that we are forever thankful.