Ankle-assisting exosuit ‘could help stroke patients to recover mobility’

A new type of exosuit technology has been developed that could help people who have suffered a stroke to recover their mobility.

Created by a team from the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard, the lightweight, soft, wearable exosuit is equipped with ankle-assisting technology designed to help reinforce normal gait in people with hemiparesis after a stroke.

In a study published in Science Translational Medicine, the suit was shown to be able to deliver gait-restoring forces to the ankle joint by transferring mechanical power via a cable-based transmission from battery-powered actuators.

When utilised in treadmill experiments, the exosuit improved the walking performance of post-stroke patients by helping them to clear the ground and push off at the ankle, allowing them to generate more forward propulsion.

These benefits were then replicated in an untethered experiment, suggesting these suits could be used outside the clinic and applied to everyday living.

Wyss Institute founding director Dr Donald Ingber said: "We hope that it will soon enter clinical use, where it undoubtedly could transform the lives of stroke patients for the better."

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