2024-07-23 15:30:08
Angel Robotics, a wearable robot company, announced that it has demonstrated a clear improvement in walking function in a large-scale clinical trial targeting children with cerebral palsy.
A company official explained, “The research paper on this clinical trial utilizing Angel Robotics’ wearable walking assistance robot ‘AngelRex M20’ was published on the 22nd (local time) in the prestigious American journal ‘JAMA Network Open’ (IF: 13.8),” adding, “It is a meaningful result in that it is the first study to prove that robotic walking rehabilitation therapy is more effective in improving walking and motor functions than conventional rehabilitation therapy.”
This study was conducted by a joint research team of five hospitals nationwide (Chungnam National University Hospital Professors Choi Ja-young and Yang Shin-seung, Chonnam National University Hospital Professor Song Min-geun, Yongin Severance Hospital Professor Kim Seung-gi, Severance Hospital Professor Hong Jun-taek, and Seoul Rehabilitation Hospital Department Head Park Han-gyeol) from September 2021 to March 2023, targeting a total of 90 children with cerebral palsy. The participants wore the ‘Angelex M20’ and received training for 30 minutes three times a week for a total of six weeks.
Participants who wore the Angelex M20 and received training showed an improvement of 3.59 points in their Gait Deviation Index (GDI), from 65.55 to 69.14 points. This is in contrast to the GDI of children who received conventional gait rehabilitation treatment, which decreased by 2.99 points. The ‘Gait Deviation Index’ is an index that represents the walking level of children with cerebral palsy as a score, and the closer the GDI is to 100, the closer it is to a normal gait pattern. The total score of the ‘GMFM-88’, which measures the motor function of children with cerebral palsy, also showed a significant improvement from 69.99 points to 74.03 in the participants who wore the Angelex M20 and received training. This is about three times higher than the increase in the ‘GMFM-88’ score of children who received conventional gait rehabilitation treatment, proving that gait rehabilitation treatment using the Angelex M20 is more effective than conventional gait rehabilitation treatment.
In the case of existing walking rehabilitation robots, they were mainly fixed in a form of a treadmill or stepper, passively imitating walking movements, whereas Angel Robotics’ wearable robot ‘Angelex M20’ allows patients to train on actual flat surfaces or stairs by wearing the robot directly on their body. In addition, it induces active participation from the wearer with a ‘force control’ method that assists only the insufficient amount of force by identifying the wearer’s intention through ‘walking intention recognition’ technology. Angel Robotics reported that “compared to existing rehabilitation treatment without a robot, it is possible to repeat training an average of five times more steps during a limited treatment time, which can further increase the treatment effect.”
Participants in this clinical trial showed significant clinical effects in gross motor function, balance control ability, and gait pattern, and the company stated that children who received overground gait training using Angel Robotics’ wearable robot, ‘AngelRex M20’, proved to be more effective in improving motor and gait function than conventional gait rehabilitation treatment.
This clinical trial was conducted as a large-scale randomized controlled clinical trial at a reliable, leading medical institution, and since it is a research result that objectively proved efficacy and safety, it is expected to serve as good basic data for expanding the scope of health insurance benefits for robot rehabilitation, which is currently limited to adult stroke patients, to children with cerebral palsy in the future.
An official from Angel Robotics stated, “Free movement and mobility are the most basic elements for leading a healthy and happy life, but unfortunately, the rate of childhood disabilities continues to increase every year.” He added, “Based on the results of this study, we will work with medical institutions to expand robot rehabilitation programs and expand the pediatric rehabilitation market so that more children with cerebral palsy and their families can benefit.”
Reporter Yong-Seok Choi, Donga.com [email protected]
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2024-07-23 15:30:08