The FDA Clears a Revolutionary Device That Could Help Millions Walk Again Erin Brodwin - News.Mic
go to original July 4, 2014

ReWalk - Walk again: Argo's Exoskeleton Technology (ReWalk by ARGO)

A wearable, computer-controlled brace that has enabled dozens of Europeans with paralysis to walk won FDA approval late last month.

The suit, produced by Argo Medical Technologies and sold under the name ReWalk, was created by Israeli inventor Amit Goffer, who lost the ability to move his arms and legs after an ATV accident in the 1990s.

Someone using ReWalk would wear a fitted, metal brace to support her legs and part of her upper body and a remote control on her wrist. With a touch of a button, she would command the entire device to help her sit down, stand up or walk. Everything that powers the technology, including its computer and power supply, fits into a small backpack.

Since it was first introduced in 2011, dozens of people with paralysis have used the technology to walk, mostly in Europe, where the device won approval almost immediately after its release. In 2012, Claire Lomas, who is paralyzed from the chest-down, used the exoskeleton to complete the London Marathon. In the U.S., Marine Corps Captain Derek Herrera will be one of the first Americans to own ReWalk under the new clearance. "I see this as a milestone for people in my same situation who will now have access to this technology to experience walking again," he told ReWalk.

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