The Technology
Millions of individuals unable to bear weight on their foot or ankle due to conditions such as fractures, sprains, surgeries, and diabetic ulcers rely on crutches. However, crutches come with significant drawbacks: they are slow, energetically inefficient, functionally limiting, and can cause secondary injuries.
To address these issues, an Ankle Foot Orthosis (AFO) offers a promising alternative. Yet, many current AFOs fail to meet essential criteria, leading to their infrequent use. The main limitation of currently used AFOs is that even if it allow for partial weightbearing, the exact amount of weightbearing cannot be adjusted, controlled, or monitored during the rehabilitation process, and no natural walking can be done during the rehabilitation process.
The technology is a novel ankle-foot orthosis device, allowing for precise, adjustable, and measurable offloading, enabling gradual increase of weight-bearing during rehabilitation process.
Advantages
- Adjustable Load Capability: Ranges from 0 to 100%, allowing for gradual load increments, which is beneficial for rehabilitation.
- Natural Walking Pattern: Maintains a natural gait even with a fixed ankle joint.
- Custom Design and Fabrication: Utilizes 3D scanning data for an automated, personalized shank brace production.
Applications and Opportunities
- Ankle/foot orthosis in a variety of medical conditions in which full and/or partial offloading of the foot and ankle is required, including:
- diabetic pressure ulcers
- stress fractures
- Clubfoot
- Charcot foot
- rehabilitation from foot/ankle surgeries
- Complex regional pain syndrome
Business Development Contacts