Volketswil – November 14, 2012 – Prolonged bed rest due to stroke, traumatic brain injury or spinal cord injury can cause adverse effects such as cardiovascular, respiratory and musculoskeletal deconditioning. It also increases the risk of medical complications such as deep venous thrombosis or infections. Scientific evidence suggests that early mobilization of neurological patients is crucial to counteract these negative effects1,2.
In combining early verticalization with robotic leg movement and cyclic leg loading, the Erigo enables the central nervous system to be stimulated and activated in a unique way. Patients verticalized with the Erigo do not suffer a drop in blood pressure3 and can be mobilized intensively and safely from an early stage of rehabilitation. With the new version Erigo®Pro, the patient’s stimulation and therefore the stabilization of the cardiovascular system is additionally enhanced by the synchronized functional electrical stimulation (FES). Dr. med. Karin Diserens, Head of the Acute Neurorehabilitation at the Department of Clinical Neuroscience at the CHUV (Centre hospitalier universitaire vaudois): “We note a direct link between the intensity of the sensorimotor stimulation with the Erigo during therapy and the recovery process of our neurological patients.”
Positive effects on therapy outcome and cost
Clinical experience has shown that the activation of the central nervous system with Erigo therapy can also have a positive effect on the patient’s consciousness, intestinal activity as well as body awareness and that it generally reduces spasticity in neurological patients.
Further information
Eveline Oehrli, Media Relations Manager, Hocoma, Industriestrasse 4, CH-8604 Volketswil
E-mail: media@hocoma.com, Phone: +41 43 444 22 00, Fax: +41 43 444 22 01, www.hocoma.com
Early rehabilitation does not only support the patient’s recovery process, but can also result in cost-effectiveness by reducing the time spent in acute care and the length of hospitalization4. The Erigo adds to these benefits by minimizing complications associated with immobility and relieving the strain on the therapist.
High usability in acute care
Besides therapy enhancement and safety, the latest version of the Erigo also offers high usability and comfort thanks to advanced features such as a flexible patient harness or an intuitive user interface allowing full therapy control. The new compact and flexible product design makes the device easily transportable and supports the close interaction between the patient and the therapist. The new upholstery, specifically tailored to intensive care needs, as well as the side rails to which additional hospital equipment can be safely attached, further increase the usability of the device in acute care.
First prototype at Medica 2012
Hocoma presents the first prototype of the ErigoPro at the Medica 2012 in Düsseldorf from November 14 to 17 (booth 4D17). The company’s trade fair presentation also focuses on its solutions for robotic gait therapy with the Lokomat®Pro.
The previous version of the Erigo has been available since 2005 and is based on research and development activities at Heidelberg University Hospital and Balgrist University Hospital. Depending on national registration procedures and regulations, the new Erigo will be available as a standard version (Erigo®Basic) and outside of the US as an advanced version with FES (Erigo®Pro).
Erigo® FES (Functional Electrical Stimulation)
The Erigo FES effectively supports the increase of blood flow in the patient’s lower extremities, which helps to maintain stroke volume and blood pressure during early verticalization5. The Erigo FES is fully synchronized with the cyclic leg movement. Up to eight FES channels can be operated easily by the therapist on the Erigo touchscreen and adjusted according to the patient’s needs and abilities.