Attendees of the American Physical Therapy Association’s (APTA) Combined Sections Meeting February 4 to 7 in Indianapolis, will have the opportunity to see Ashburn, Va-based Aretech LLC showcase its ZeroG Gait and Balance Training System.  The robotic overground body-weight support system is engineered to prevent falls, while offloading a portion of the patient’s weight with dynamic body-weight support as the robot tracks their movements on an overhead track.

ZeroG features interactive balance programs with biofeedback, interactive games played through movements, dynamic fall recovery, treadmill integration, and custom harnesses with therapist shaping handles.

Inventor of the ZeroG, Joe Hidler, PhD, CEO of Aretech LLC, states in a recent company news release, “We’re excited to be at APTA-CSM again this year so therapists can experience ZeroG and try the new features which greatly expand upon the clinical uses of the system. It’s always fun to see therapists react the first time to everything ZeroG can do…”

The ZeroG is designed to offer a variety of benefits to users, including therapy intensity that can be modulated with dynamic body-weight support, the ability to begin early and intensive therapy after neurological and orthopedic injuries to effectively promote recovery1, a lower injury risk to patients and therapist, and safety when practicing functional activities such as obstacle avoidance, sit-to-stand, floor transfers, and stairs. The technology is also built to monitor and track performance and functional progress, and allow a single therapist to treat a wide range of patients and diagnoses across a variety of activities.

Reference:

1. Horn, et al. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2005, 86(12 Suppl 2):S101-S114.

 Source: Aretech LLC