Walking brace for people with impaired motor skills
MedScaler have recently teamed up with Moveo, an Italian company that developed the ExoBand. For this article, our Health Innovator Gijs Langkamp interviewed Fausto Panizzolo, CEO at Moveo.
What is the ExoBand?
The ExoBand is a walking brace developed by Moveo which aids walking. It is a waistbelt, worn around the hip (‘main band’), with two smaller bands (‘leg bands’) worn above the knee. These leg bands are connected to the main band by a mechanism that stores the energy generated in the first phase of the gait cycle to return it in the second phase, thus enhancing the thrust of the hip flexors.
How does the ExoBand work?
Tension builds in the connectors in the first phase of the gait. In the second phase, this tension helps the legs to swing forward, helping the hip flexors. The whole mechanism is passive, so it does not require any batteries or motor, it is lightweight and easy to put on.
“A girl was able to walk down the aisle during her wedding, thanks to the ExoBand”
Fausto Panizzolo, CEO Moveo
So, who benefits from this innovation?
The target population is people with a neurodegenerative disease or people who have had a stroke and as a result, struggle with walking. As a result, the audience is quite diverse, ranging from children to elderly. The ExoBand can help these people with an improved gait, more extensive action radius and improve their posture.
CEO Fausto Panizzolo mentions some of their success stories: “There was a girl who was able to walk down the aisle during her wedding thanks to the ExoBand. We also had someone who was able to walk again in the mountains. Ultimately, we want to help one million people to walk better.”
Why is the ExoBand coming to the Netherlands?
The ExoBand is already in use in Italy, where it is reimbursed by many users and rehabilitation centers. Without reimbursement, the innovation is also currently active in France, UK, Germany, Norway, and Austria. “There are three peer-reviewed papers and three more to be published about the ExoBand and we wanted to expand to other countries. The healthcare system in the Netherlands has a high quality and a high technological level, which is why it fits with the ExoBand.”
Curious how patients experience the ExoBand of Moveo? Watch the story of Marzia below.
Are you a care professional involved in rehabilitation, or are you interested in the ExoBand yourself? Reach out to our Health Innovator Gijs Langkamp via gijs@medscaler.com.
