Third UK ROBERT® trial commences at Hobbs Rehabilitation South East

We are delighted to share that the third UK trial of the ROBERT®, a robotic rehabilitation device for early upper and lower limb mobilisation, has commenced at Hobbs Rehabilitation South East in Liss, Hampshire.

ROBERT® is developed by Life Science Robotics and represented in the UK by Summit Medical and Scientific.

The therapy team at Hobbs Rehabilitation will be using the ROBERT® for the next three months offering high intensity rehabilitation to outpatients with severe to mild impairments of upper and lower limbs.

Previously the ROBERT® has been successfully trialled at The Children’s Trust and the Inpatient Stroke Services at Trafford General Hospital.

“Able to achieve a higher intensity of training”

Hayley King, Specialist Neurological Physiotherapist at Hobbs Rehabilitation South East, said:

“It has been really interesting using ROBERT® with our neuro patients. They have found it engaging and have been able to achieve a higher intensity of training during their sessions focusing on specific muscles that need strengthening. The addition of the EMG triggered Functional Electrical Stimulation component for the lower limb training has been useful for our patients to help them focus on stimulating their weak muscles, achieving high repetitions within the session”.

Sara Brammall, Managing Director at Summit Medical and Scientific, said:

“We are pleased to see our ROBERT® trials expanding in the UK and further strengthen our collaboration with Hobbs Rehabilitation. The ROBERT® uniquely trains upper and lower limb with just one device, and with seven degrees of freedom and assist-as-needed levels of mobilisation, ROBERT® offers enormous opportunities for the intensive rehabilitation of even severely impaired patients. We are looking forward to the outcome of the trial and seeing how clients progress at Hobbs Rehabilitation.”

Keld Thorsen, CEO at Life Science Robotics, said:

“Working with Hobbs, UK has been an absolute pleasure. The professionalism of the clinic and their physiotherapy team is outstanding. They were quick to identify the needs for both upper and lower limb therapy and seamlessly introduced EMG-initiated Functional Electrical Stimulation. What truly stood out was the transformation we witnessed – after just 30 to 45 minutes of intensive training, patients showed remarkable reactions. Their excitement and satisfaction with the progress was incredibly rewarding to see.”

About ROBERT®

ROBERT® is a robotic rehabilitation device, offering a complete and flexible solution for upper and lower limb therapy.

ROBERT® provides intensive rehabilitation for acute patients as early as possible, and can be used for upper or lower limb therapy either in-bed or seated with just one device.

Even severely impaired patients can be mobilised using ROBERT®, supporting a patient’s rehabilitation as soon as possible after their admission to hospital. Getting patients moving early and intensively is an important step towards optimal recovery and facilitating neuroplasticity.

How ROBERT® works

Therapists first define the desired movement using ROBERT®, including Activities of Daily Living and Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation with seven degrees of freedom.

The ROBERT® then repeats the intensive therapy, offering tailored levels of resistance and support based on the patient’s ability.

EMG-triggered Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) within the additional Sensing and Stimulating (SAS) module provides intelligent sensing to support patients in contracting weakened muscles, allowing them to perform exercises with the ROBERT®.

Passive mobilisation is for completely immobilised patients, where ROBERT® carries out the exercise on the behalf of patients with reduced or no function. Active assistive mobilisation guides the patient through the exercise, and the patient’s function and strength determine the level of activity. Finally, active resistive mobilisation offers resistance against the patient’s movement.

ROBERT®’s assistive technology reduces the need for heavy and repetitive lifts, freeing resources for other aspects of clinical treatment and reducing the strain on the therapist. Clinicians can transport the device throughout their facility to each patient, and simply plug, attach, record and play using the intuitive interface. Patients can be set up and ready to go in as little as three minutes.

About Summit Medical and Scientific

Summit Medical and Scientific are passionate about the power of rehabilitation technology.

We represent clinical technology leaders Hocoma, Life Science Robotics, ddrobotec^® and Motek to provide the total solution for rehabilitation in the UK. Our partners have developed innovative therapy devices using robotics, sensors and virtual reality for early and acute rehabilitation, gait and balance therapy, arm and hand therapy, body weight support and more. Click here to view all of our clinical solutions.

Get in touch with Summit Medical and Scientific today to find out more about incorporating state-of-the-art rehabilitation technology into your practice.

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