Adaptive devices

First in a series. For a minute or two, I felt like I was in a time machine. It was late March, and I was test driving (perhaps test walking) the WalkAide System, a functional electronic stimulation (FES) device designed, according…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently cleared the myBioness mobile app, designed by Bioness, to be used with the L300 Go System to improve muscle strength in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) or other conditions that affect walking. The L300 Go System is approved to help…

An increase in multiple sclerosis cases in the Middle East and North Africa has prompted Bayer to introduce to the region an injector that patients can use to treat themselves. Researchers have suggested that increases in the region’s cases stem from many people adopting Western lifestyles, including smoking and using sun…

I never thought I’d find a subject for this MS column in the technology magazine Wired. But, what do you know? A recent article suggested that the same technology being used to create self-driving cars could (and should) be used to create self-driving wheelchairs. Artist and…

It looks like a dog’s leash, but it isn’t. I put in “dog’s lead” and “disabled apparatus” into my first Google search and fittingly was taken down into a rabbit’s warren of equipment for psychically challenged dogs. Who knew? It’s a nifty bit of kit for moving your leg…

I’ve been using a Bioness L300 for just over five years to counter my foot drop. Without the L300 strapped to my left leg, it’s difficult for me to walk more than 25 or 30 steps, even with two canes. The L300 is a functional electronic…

The MyoPro electric arm, which uses motors to help multiple sclerosis patients move weakened arms and hands, has obtained a quality designation required for selling medical equipment in Europe. Myomo‘s powered brace, which also helps people with spinal cord and nerve injuries, received what the European Union calls CE Mark certification. The company…

Earlier this month Bioness announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had cleared its new “L300 Go” functional electronic stimulator (FES). It’s an upgrade of the original “L300” that I’ve been using for more than five years. Without the “L300” strapped to my left leg…

The French economic promotion agency Bpifrance has awarded Boston-based PathMaker Neurosystems a grant to finance the development of its MyoRegulator, a noninvasive neurotherapy technology to treat conditions linked to neural pathway disruption, including neuromotor spasticity in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Through the Programme d’Investissements d’Avenir (PIA-1), an investment program offered by Bpifrance, the  grant — whose…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized the use of Bioness’ L300 Go System electrical-stimulation rehabilitation device for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and others with walking impairment. It is the first electrical stimulation device to offer 3D motion detection of gait and muscle activation, the company says. The L300…

B-Temia announced the launch of its “b-Klinic Mobility” business unit, offering clinical services, information, training, and ongoing support to patients and healthcare professionals who use the company’s Keeogo walking assistive device. Keeogo is B-Temia’s first product in the class of dermoskeletons, designed to assist persons with mobility-related challenges that limit…

Using a computer mouse can be difficult for people with the many diseases or injuries that affect muscular control, including those with multiple sclerosis (MS).  So a company called Perceptive Devices has designed a way around that problem, and recently released a new version of its Smyle Mouse, a device that tracks facial…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved for marketing Adapta Medical’s PerfIC Cath, an intermittent and easy-to-use urinary catheter that was designed for patients with limited dexterity by a doctor who is also a quadriplegic. Urinary tract symptoms can trouble people with multiple sclerosis (MS). In fact, according to the National MS Society,…

My children will be the first to tell you that I struggle with new technology. In fact, I’ve just returned home from dropping off my youngest son at college and realize that I forgot to have him write instructions for the television. Netflix may come in handy now that…

The use of assistive devices is ineffective for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, a study recently presented at the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) 2016 Annual Meeting concluded. But physical training using such devices can help improve mobility and the result is usually accompanied by a lower level of signaling…

ReWalk Robotics, Ltd., announced it is partnering with the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University to further develop and test lightweight exoskeleton systems for people with disabilities affecting their lower limbs, including those with multiple sclerosis (MS). “This is a very exciting day for the soft suit technology,” Conor Walsh, a…

A major new European research program to develop ways of monitoring three main central nervous system diseases —multiple sclerosis (MS), depressive disorder, and epilepsy — using wearable devices and smartphones was launched on April 26. The RADAR-CNS (Remote assessment of disease and relapse Central Nervous System) project, supported by the Innovative…

Dr. Hannah Gullo, a University of Queensland (UQ) School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences researcher, is several steps closer to achieving her goal of using smartwatches to combat the effects of multiple sclerosis (MS), thanks to an $8,000 Ian Ballard Travel Award for 2016 that will fund her flying from…

Cambridge, Massachusetts based PatientsLikeMe has released results of a novel study conducted in conjunction with pharmaceutical maker Biogen that demonstrated how people living with multiple sclerosis (MS) can employ wearable activity tracking devices to monitor, collect, and share their personal mobility data. That information can potentially be relevant for…

Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients often experience difficulty with balance and fear falling, which may prevent them from being social or participating in exercise and community activities, affecting their quality of life. However, a pioneering study conducted at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is looking to understand the role of…