Bionik launches new InMotion Arm for stroke survivors
Bionik Laboratories Corp. has launched its improved InMotion Arm interactive robotic system for clinical rehabilitation of stroke survivors and those with mobility impairments due to neurological conditions.
The new generation InMotion Arm will provide the same active-assisted robotic therapy, but with a new industrial design that is modern, smaller and sleeker, says the company. The software interface has been redesigned to allow greater ease of use and therefore reduced training requirements for clinical staff.
“The overall design is very different from before and allows us to be more user friendly for the hospital staff and the patient. It’s now a much more modern, smaller, sleeker robot which is important because hospital space is not large,” said Michal Prywata, co-founder, chief technology officer and director of Bionik Laboratories.
“The interface is also much simpler to use. We wanted it to feel like downloading a new app. Just a few screens of quick instruction, and then the rest is self-explanatory. We wanted to ensure our robots are easy to learn and use, and we believe we’ve accomplished that in this update.”
The company, which is focused on providing rehabilitation and assistive technology solutions to individuals with neurological and mobility impairments from hospital to home, has already sold and placed units of its new generation InMotion Arm system with rehabilitation hospitals including Saint Luke’s South Hospital in Overland Park, Kansas, USA, and Bacharach Institute for Rehabilitation in Pomona, New Jersey.
“Bionik’s InMotion Arm interactive robotic systems enable us to enhance our treatment programs for those suffering from stroke or other neurological injury. They are easy to use for our rehab specialists, and provide an unmatched therapy experience for our patients,” said Reagan Simpson, Vice President of Rehabilitation Services, Saint Luke’s South Hospital.
The company has also entered into agreement with Cogmedix Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Coghlin Companies, Inc., a medical device development and manufacturing company in Worcester, MA for the production of its new InMotion Arm systems. The initial agreement is for turnkey, compliant manufacturing, with the possibility for increased volume.
The original InMotion Arm is used daily in more than 20 countries to help stroke survivors and those with other neurological conditions to regain arm movement by training shoulder protraction/retraction, flexion/extension, abduction/adduction, internal/external rotation, and elbow flexion/extension. The new generation InMotion Arm Therapy remains the same, developed according to the principles of motor learning and neuro-plasticity.
InMotion Arm therapy guides the patient through specific tasks, aiming to improve motor control of the arm by increasing strength, range of motion, and coordination, and assisting with the provision of efficient, effective, intensive sensorimotor therapy.