Magee Rehabilitation Hospital Unveils Donation from SoldierStrong - Ekso GT ™ Bionic Suit for use with Stroke and Spinal Cord Injuries

May 4, 2016

PHILADELPHIA, PA, May 2, 2016 – Magee Rehabilitation Hospital unveils its brand new Ekso GT™, a wearable robotic exoskeleton, made possible by SoldierStrong, with a live demonstration on Wednesday, May 4, 2016 at noon. At this event, former Magee patient Frank LaMacchia, who previously experienced a spinal cord injury and uses a wheelchair, will stand up and walk with the use of the Ekso GT.

Ekso Bionics’ (OTCQB:EKSO) Ekso GT is a wearable bionic suit that enables people with paralysis of the lower limbs due to spinal cord injury or stroke to stand up and walk over ground. With the patient providing the balance and proper body positioning, a physical therapist uses the controller to program the desired walking parameters, such as step length and speed, as well as to control when the device stands, sits, and takes a step.

“We are thrilled to expand the robotics offerings at Magee with the addition of the Ekso GT, which will help us to optimize outcomes for an even broader patient population,” Dr. Jack Carroll, President and CEO of Magee Rehabilitation Hospital says. “Magee is proud to provide state-of-the-art therapeutic technology to its patients, such as the Ekso GT, which we can now use to help rehabilitate stroke patients. The positive impact of this device on our patients’ self-esteem and emotional wellbeing, in addition to their physical recovery, is profound, and we thank SoldierStrong for this generous donation.”

Ekso GT is the first and only robotic exoskeleton to be granted clearance for rehabilitation purposes both for use with patients who have had a stroke, as well as those with a spinal cord injury. This broader clearance means that clinics using the Ekso are now able to offer robotic exoskeleton therapy to a much wider patient population, helping more patients stand and walk.

“We are pleased to support Magee Rehabilitation Hospital with this donation to help enhance the journey to recovery for many of their patients, including those who suffered stroke, for whom there was no such therapy previously available,” says Chris Meek, co-founder and Chairman of SoldierStrong. “This donation comes in time for Stroke Awareness Month this May, which is the perfect opportunity to educate the public about the prevalence of this injury and the availability of new medical technologies to assist in improved recovery.”

SoldierStrong is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization whose mission is to improve the lives of the men and the women of the United States Armed Forces. Magee is committed to providing veterans with disabilities access to this highly innovative, technologically advanced robotic device to assist them with their therapy and functional recovery.

About Magee Rehabilitation Hospital
Magee Rehabilitation Hospital, a founding member of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation’s NeuroRecovery Network, is the Philadelphia region’s original provider of physical and cognitive rehabilitation. The not-for-profit hospital provides nationally-recognized lifetime rehabilitation and wellness programs for individuals with spinal cord injury, brain injury, stroke, orthopedic joint replacement, amputation, pain management, and work injury. Since 1978, Magee has partnered with Thomas Jefferson University Hospital to form The Regional Spinal Cord Injury Center of the Delaware Valley, one of only 14 federally designated model systems of care in the country.

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