ReWalk Up and Going In U.S.

YERUSHALAYIM (Hamodia Staff) —

An Israel-invented robotic leg brace that can help some disabled people walk again has gained approval by Federal health regulators in the U.S., The Times of Israel said on Sunday.

The system, called ReWalk, functions like an exoskeleton for people paralyzed from the waist down, allowing them to stand and walk with assistance from a caretaker.

The device was developed by the founder of Israel-based Argo Medical Technologies, who was himself paralyzed in a car crash in 1997.

ReWalk consists of leg braces with motion sensors and motorized joints that respond to subtle changes in upper-body movement and shifts in balance. A harness around the patient’s waist and shoulders keeps the device in place, and a backpack holds the computer and rechargeable battery. Crutches are used to add stability.

“Innovative devices such as ReWalk go a long way towards helping individuals with spinal cord injuries gain some mobility,” FDA officials Christy Foreman said in a statement.

The device will retail for about $70,000 in the U.S., according to CBS News.
 

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