AUTOMATIC SUSPENSION DEVICE FOR GAIT TRAINING

The automatic suspension device (REHABOT) suspends the patient's body in a standing position allowing the patient to walk around the circula r handrail without forward propulsion. Reduction of body weight is acc urately maintained automatically while safely supporting the patient. The device was used for 23 patients with orthopaedic disorders or cent ral nervous system disorders who were chosen because of their initial difficulties with gait training in parallel bars. Its advantages are t hat (1) it may be used for patients with open wounds or cardiac proble ms, or patients using prostheses or orthoses, (2) preparation and walk ing practice are simpler both for patients and staff than the therapeu tic pool and walking trolley, (3) running costs are lower than the the rapeutic pool. Its drawbacks are that the initial cost is relatively h igh, only one patient can be trained at a time, and the effect of warm water is missing. The automatic suspension device will become one of the new and fundamental pieces of equipment for gait training, especia lly for hospitals where there are many elderly patients and also sever ely and multiple disabled persons.