Company Overview
Hocoma is the leader in robotic rehabilitation therapy for neurological movement disorders. The Swiss based medical technology company was founded in the year 1996 as a limited liability company by the electrical and biomedical engineers Gery Colombo and Matthias Jörg and by the economist Peter Hostettler. Hocoma develops innovative therapy solutions working closely with leading clinics and research centers.
The Lokomat System, the first driven gait orthosis, is used for robotic treadmill training of neurological patients with movement disorders caused by stroke, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis or Parkinson’s disease. The Lokomat has been available on the market since 2001 and has been a crucial improvement in the art and science of locomotion therapy.
The Pediatric Lokomat provides intensive locomotion therapy now also for the treatment of small children with cerebral palsy or other neurological disorders. Since the market introduction in autumn 2005, several Pediatric Lokomat Systems have been installed worldwide.
A second product developed by Hocoma is the Erigo, a pioneering tilt table with an integrated robotic stepping system. It supports and facilitates the mobilization of neurological patients in the early phase of rehabilitation or for long bed rest patients.
In November 2006, Hocoma launched the Andago, a new user-friendly system for manually assisted treadmill training. Optimized ergonomics and patient handling are combined with a novel body weight support system and unique upgrade possibilities to automate the gait training. The dynamic body weight support system allows – compared to conventional body weight support systems – a precise unloading which leads to a more physiological vertical movement of the patient and promotes a more physiological gait.
An important milestone in the development of the Hocoma product portfolio is a device for the rehabilitation of the upper extremities after stroke, traumatic brain injury or other neurological disorders. Hocoma develops this novel upper extremity therapy device named Armeo in close cooperation with leading researchers and the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (USA). The first devices are in use since summer 2007.
As a new addition to the Armeo Therapy Concept Hocoma launched in 2009 the ArmeoBoom, a new product specifi-cally designed for outpatient clinics and home-settings. The product is based on research and development activities of the University of Twente and Roessingh Research and Development in Enschede, the Netherlands.
Today, Hocoma has over 110 employees who work in the headquarters near Zurich and for the subsidiaries in the USA and Singapore.
