Queen’s Park Care Centre in New Westminster has received a technology upgrade to its rehabilitation toolkit thanks to a donation from a patient.
Vancouver resident Toan Nguyen donated a Lokomat and an ArmeoPower device to the Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation after experiencing the benefits of the technologies following a stroke.
“I wanted this technology to be available to more people,” Nguyen stated. “After suffering a massive stroke, I saw the benefits, and now I’m walking and working again.”
The Lokomat is a robotic rehabilitation device that provides specialized physiological movement training to regain walking abilities. An exoskeleton-like harness is combined with a treadmill. The ArmeoPower, meanwhile, is specifically designed for arm and hand therapy in an early stage of rehabilitation.
The two devices, both made by Switzerland’s Hocoma, feature gamified virtual reality exercises to stimulate the brain and motor skills while providing real-time biofeedback.
“This technology is a game-changer in rehabilitation, benefiting both our patients and the therapists who are receiving specialized training,” stated Saba Hena, project leader, Queen’s Park Care Centre.
“With more advanced care options, we can provide a higher quality of care and improve patient outcomes,” Hena believes.
Jeff Norris, chief executive officer of the Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation, says he is “incredibly grateful to be able to bring this technology to patients in the Fraser Health region.”
“As the organization responsible for fundraising for Queen’s Park Care Centre, we’re proud that our generous donors continue to step up to provide life-changing care to patients throughout B.C. and support this important facility,” he stated.
“It is our hope that this new robotic-assisted technology will help improve our patients’ overall strength, range of motion and coordination, thus allowing them to get back to everyday life and be able to care for themselves,” added Melanie Mayede, a occupational therapist at Queen’s Park Care Centre.
Similar to Hocoma is Human in Motion Robotics out of Vancouver.
The B.C. firm’s own XoMotion, which it claims to be the world’s most advanced exoskeleton, is designed to aid patients with spinal cord injuries, stroke, and other neurological conditions by providing support through self-balancing and hands-free functionality.
Human in Motion was founded in 2016 and, following a $10 million Series A financing round in 2023, is currently commercializing its technology.
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