THIS NESS IS NO MONSTER: Ellie Kendrick shows how easy it is to don the NESS L300 while Bob Waldron (left) and Henry Ramage look on. Behind them are Henry's physical therapist Laurel Koch (left) and his mother, Georgann Ramage.
THIS NESS IS NO MONSTER: Ellie Kendrick shows how easy it is to don the NESS L300 while Bob Waldron (left) and Henry Ramage look on. Behind them are Henry's physical therapist Laurel Koch (left) and his mother, Georgann Ramage.
Eleanor Kendrick, 56, of Truro - stroke
Robert Waldron, 49, Marstons Mills - multiple sclerosis
Henry Ramage, 12, Barnstable - cerebral palsy
Different folks, not all with strokes, but they're all walking again with considerably less difficulty thanks to the same high-tech device now available in this country only at the Rehabilitation Hospital of the Cape and Islands in Sandwich.
It's the NESS L300, a compact wireless device that transmits impulses from the brain to the leg and, in effect, leap-frogs over neural connections that might have been short-circuited by illness or injury. According to one description, the cuff "acts like an artificial brain telling the muscles what to do."
The device is somewhat similar in theory to the NESS H200, which helps restore function to the upper extremities. To this point RHCI is the only institution in New England to use the H200.
Both devices are the product of Bioness, Inc., a California-based company with corporate roots in Israel.
The devices both use Functional Electrical Stimulation or FES. The principle is not new, but previous versions were quite cumbersome to use. The Bioness Systems are extremely functional and can be used in everyday settings, whether it is Eleanor Kendrick shopping or Henry Ramage attending school. Once confined to a wheelchair, Ms. Kendrick says, "Now I can go to the supermarket and walk down the aisle with my groceries. I can walk at least a mile and not even be tired."
In one demonstration at RHCI earlier this year, sixth-grader Henry slowly hobbled the length of the room one way, then skipped back with ease—and a big smile—after turning on his L300.
And Mr. Waldron noted that he's no longer considering use of a walker (instead of a cane) to eliminate dangerous falls.
According to Bioness officials, the L300 also is effective with partial spinal cord injuries.
The L300 has other advantages besides its compact size. Patients can begin using it within days after being stabilized following a stroke. And it also stimulates a recovery of some brain function that may have been damaged by the illness or injury.
"You just turn it on and it 'walks' at your speed," said Yitzhak Zilberman, President/CEO of Bioness, "And it also improves function of the brain, although probably not to 100 percent."
The L300 costs $5,900 and at this point is not covered by any insurance.
But, as Dr. David Lowell, RHCI's medical director, points out, "It take science fiction and makes it a reality. This is a therapy that has the potential to transform lives."