AlterG™ Acquires Tibion Bionic Leg

FREMONT, Calif. - June 26, 2013 - PRLog -- AlterG™, the revolutionary training and rehabilitation company that launched the first Anti-Gravity Treadmill, today announced the acquisition of Tibion, creator of the first wearable bionic leg.  

“We are building a world-class portfolio of the most innovative and important rehabilitation tools available to the medical and fitness markets,” said AlterG CEO Steve Basta. “The addition of the Bionic Leg continues our efforts to help people rehab quickly, safely and effectively.”

The AlterG Bionic Leg is a wearable, battery-powered, robotic mobility assistance device activated by the patient’s intent to move.  Used by physical therapists for patients with impaired mobility, the AlterG Bionic Leg strengthens stance, improves gait, and enhances active motor learning while protecting its user.  Currently, the apparatus is a crucial component for stroke rehabilitation and therapy for patients with chronic, degenerative neurological gait impairment including Parkinson’s disease and Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The Bionic Leg has also been demonstrated to be of high value in rehabilitation therapy for orthopedic injury.

The apparatus specifically provides assistance needed to participate more actively in sit-to-stand, overground walking and stair climbing exercises that are critical to the recovery of gait and balance.  When a patient begins to stand up or ascend a stair, the software’s sensors detect the weight shift and the knee angle changes, and then the device applies assistive force in leg extension to help lift the patient.  When the patient wants to sit down or descend stairs, the device applies a resistance force to provide controlled descent.  While walking, the device allows the leg to move freely during the swing phase, while providing added support during the stance phase.

The Bionic Leg can be used to provide physical support and therapy across markets where patients suffer with mobility impairment and gait deficits.  The acquisition of Tibion by AlterG will provide additional resources to grow Bionic Leg placements and increase production, expanding its availability worldwide.  

“I am excited by the new opportunities that will result from the recent acquisition of Tibion by AlterG,” said, Dr. Robert Horst, the inventor of the Bionic Leg and the Chief Technology Officer of Robotics at AlterG. “The additional resources in manufacturing, sales and engineering will allow us to ramp production and make Bionic Leg therapy available to a much larger population of patients throughout the world.”

The AlterG Bionic Leg is currently available in over 100 hospitals, physical therapy facilities and skilled nursing facilities worldwide.  The AlterG Bionic Leg was the recipient of the 9^th annual Invention and Entrepreneurship Award in Robotics and Automation (IERA) during the 2013 International Conference on Robotics and Automation in Karlsruhe, Germany.  For more information on AlterG, please visit http://www.alterg.com.  For more information on AlterG Bionic Leg, please visit http://www.tibion.com.

About AlterG

AlterG, Inc. is revolutionizing modern rehabilitation through the use of the cutting edge Anti-Gravity Treadmill® and Bionic Leg.  The AlterG Bionic Leg™ is a wearable, battery-powered, robotic mobility assistance device activated by a patient’s intent to move. The Bionic Leg is currently available in over 100 hospitals, physical therapy facilities and skilled nursing facilities worldwide.  The AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill® technology was originally developed for NASA and is the first FDA-cleared medical device that uses patented differential air pressure technology.  AlterG products are used by major medical centers, leading physical therapy clinics, top professional and collegiate teams and athletes, and individual sports and fitness programs worldwide.