Tech & industry
Having been an early adopter of telerehab, PhysioFunction was perhaps less daunted than most at the prospect of responding to the COVID-19 lockdown and ensuring their clients’ needs were met.
The specialist neuro physiotherapy practice has, for the past year, used video calls to enable its clients to receive one-to-one sessions in addition to those provided in person, with its staff supporting them to install and use the technology remotely.
It is also an early adopter of the MindMotion GO, a first-of-its-kind mobile neurorehabilitation therapy system which uses gaming to support the recovery of brain injury and neuro patients.
Tech firm Neuro Rehab VR has releases its new XR Therapy System, a clinically validated and FDA registered VR therapy system for neuro-rehab and physical therapy treatment and assessment in clinical environments. The company states that its new VR system helps to increase provider efficiencies and enhance patient experiences while expediting recovery through engaging virtual reality exercises. Neuro Rehab VR’s solution has been developed to allow outpatient physical therapy centers and hospitals to work on patient physical therapy for upper and lower extremity, cognitive therapy, pain and anxiety alleviation, behavioral and social skills training, and more, through a library of VR applications.
Artificial intelligence is lauded for its ability to solve problems humans cannot, thanks to novel computing architectures that process large amounts of complex data quickly. As a result, AI methods, such as machine learning, computer vision, and neural networks, are applied to some of the most difficult problems in science and society.
One tough problem is the diagnosis, surgical treatment, and monitoring of brain diseases. The range of AI technologies available for dealing with brain disease is growing fast, and exciting new methods are being applied to brain problems as computer scientists gain a deeper understanding of the capabilities of advanced algorithms.
Robotics are being used to enhance patient rehabilitation goals in a residential neuro-rehab setting for the first time, with one UK provider revealing its significant investment is already paying dividends.
Askham Village Community introduced robotic devices in June, creating Askham Rehab, a specialist rehabilitation service which incorporates cutting-edge devices and sensor-assisted technology to extend rehab provision to patients. Having been introduced during lockdown, as well as the innovative new rehab practices adopted at the centre in Doddington, Cambridgeshire, Askham also reports the morale boost it delivered to staff and patients alike, during a difficult time for many.
Pioneering neurotechnology devlopers have received a US$2m boost to increase access to their portable brain scanning device.
HealthTech Connex, a Canadian medtech firm, developed the NeuroCatch Platform, a first-of-its-kind portable device that measures brain waves which was approved by Health Canada last year. It enables healthcare professionals to rapidly record brainwaves and output event-related potential (ERP) information (measured brain responses). ERPs have been used extensively by clinicians for many brain conditions and injuries such as concussions, dementia, Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis and PTSD, as well as for brain performance optimisation.
Johanna Perraudin speaks to French tech firm EzyGain about its mission to make physical rehabilitation more accessible.
Zineb Agoumi’s grandmother was the inspiration behind the launch of EzyGain in 2015. As her grandmother was often falling at home, she researched ways of practicing walking securely. She quickly noticed that most physical rehabilitation machines tended to be bulky, expensive and complex to use – and therefore the preserve of big health centres. Alternatively, there were simple treadmills which could not be adapted to every patient.
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When the spinal cord is injured, it swells, which restricts blood flow and can cause permanent motor, sensory, and autonomic function damage.
Preventing initial swelling, therefore, is key to minimising damage. But the only treatment available for this is a steroid therapy that has minimal effects. But a team of researchers have devised a new therapy device that removes fluid from the spinal cord using osmosis to reduce swelling. While the device has only been tested on injured rats, they’re confident it will soon be applied to humans. The researchers, from the University of California’s Department of Bioengineering, found that spinal fluid can increase in the area within one hour of the injury happening, and levels can remain elevated for 28 days.
A wide range of patients are now benefiting from the use of AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmills throughout clinics across the UK. Patients with a wide range of neurological conditions are gaining confidence within a fall-safe environment which allows for high intensity repetitions along with increasing motor learning early on in the rehabilitation stage. Originally designed for NASA, the AlterG uses patented Differential Air Pressure Technology to unweight patients from 100% down to 20% of their bodyweight in precise 1% increments.
However, for stroke patients, there are many options available to help sustain their recovery at home, several of which make use of the very latest in cutting-edge technology.
The Stroke Awareness Foundation is vocal in its promotion of the adoption of the latest tech, which often also enables users to make vital progress they may not have done without their usual specialist rehab.
