Otto Bock HealthCare's electronically controlled E-MAG Active orthotic device
Otto Bock HealthCare, a world leading supplier of innovative solutions for people with limited mobility, has received the prestigious 2009 award for “Prosthetic or Orthotic Product Innovation” from The Limbless Association for E-MAG Active. The newly launched orthosis is the first electronically controlled knee-joint system that provides a far greater level of mobility, reliability and safety than a conventional orthosis.
E-MAG Active’s unique design works independently of the ankle joint or sole of the foot. This means that even users with no ankle functionality, caused by partial or complete paralysis as a result of stroke, poliomyelitis or post polio syndrome, are still able to achieve a natural, smoother gait pattern when walking. Patients are therefore able to maximize mobility and independence in a secure way improving overall quality of life.
The new lightweight knee-joint system opens and closes automatically while walking, locking in the stance phase and unlocking in the swing phase. An intelligent sensor system measures the position of the leg during walking and electronically controls the orthotic joint accordingly, locking and unlocking the joint depending on forefoot load and knee extension. E-MAG Active gives clear acoustic or vibration feedback to alert the user as to the joint’s status.
Craig Stevens, Product Manager at Otto Bock HealthCare says, “E-MAG Active has ushered in a new era in orthotics. The secure stance and free swing phases give users a more natural walking pattern, which enhances confidence and leads to a freer range of movement and greater patient compliance. The feedback system also eliminates a host of secondary problems often related to injury caused as a result of a fall. Otto Bock is extremely pleased with this award as it recognizes significant innovation in orthotics.”
Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/
