The last Thursday, I could watch a very important news, for Health in the world: “A team of Spanish researches have invented the first exoskeleton for children with Spinal Muscular Atrophy”. Effectively, a team, from the Automation and Robotics Centre, at the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), led by Elena García, has designed this exoskeleton, that is in preclinical phase. Now, we need a company willing to sell it, to benefit million of children worldwide. While that company appears, the parents of some Spanish children, with this disease, have opened a line of Crowd Funding, from 10 Euros.
Then, I have found a video, to show you how this robot works. If you want to watch this video, please click on the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XmkcCEn6v8
Elena García (Founder of “Bionics Marsi“ and Researcher at the CSIC): “We have designed and have made an exoskeleton, of gear, for children affected by neuromuscular diseases; specifically, we are now testing in children, affected by Spinal Muscular Atrophy”
…..music……………
Elena: “The exoskeleton is a robot, which is attached to the legs and trunk of the child and helps him to stand up and walking; in this sense, it is attending, in order that this child does not lose that ability to walk; thus, it can have a therapeutic effect, on one hand and an improvement, in his quality of life, on the other hand, if it can be incorporated into the activities of daily living”
………..music………………
Elena: “The exoskeleton could be used in children from 3 to 14 years old; thus, it can be adapted to the growth of the child; but more important is the ability of the exoskeleton, to fit his –or her-- symptomatology”
….music…….
Gustavo Lorenzo (“Ramón y Cajal Hospital”): “Spinal Muscular Atrophy is a genetic disease, that affects nerve cells, in the spinal cord, and conditions that, gradually, the body's muscles to atrophy. People, who have “type 2” form, but the fundamental problem, which they will have, is that they can not walk, can not maintain a static right of their spine; they can not increase their breathing capacity, because their muscles do not work, and, besides, when, progressively, it is doubling their spine, Scoliosis occurs and that makes their breathing capacity becomes worse. Right?”.
Elena: “The exoskeleton is composed of a series of engines, which are like artificial muscles .... music ..... In this one, concretely, we have five, on each leg, and can be added one more; so we are supplying the each normal joint functionality and its degree of movement, in each of the legs ......music.......There is a computer, on board, very small; but, there is a computer, which is what is responsible for sending such orders the engines, to generate gait patterns, the most appropriate possible –patterns like the natural motion--; but, who commands the computer is the child himself, with his mobility; we have sensors, in each of these joints, in their artificial muscles, which have a lot of sensitivity and can detect that intention of motion, with that little bit of movement, that it is done by the child…..music…………. We are doing these tests, pre-clinical, --ie, to show, still in the laboratory, that the exoskeleton achieves a functionality--, and these tests are already being done with volunteer patients. Now, in collaboration with hospitals, with the “Ramon y Cajal Hospital”, in Madrid, and the “San Juan de Dios”, in Barcelona, we will test the therapeutic effect of the exoskeleton, which is what really has been developed for.”.
Well, If you want to collaborate, with Marsi Bionics, to finance the proposed acquisition of several exoskeletons, please choose one of the following options on the website of Marsi Bionics. Make you click on the link below:
http://www.marsibionics.com/crowdfunding/
You can click the icon “Donativos” (“Donations”), “Aportaciones con recompensa” (“Contributions to reward”), “Patrocinio” (“Sponsorship”) or “Inversión en el proyecto” (Investment in the project). You need a contract for the third and fourth options.
I hope that you have liked the project and you can collaborate with this nice project.
Until my next post, kind regards,
Luis.
Sponsored by Costaluz Lawyers.
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