AutoAmbulator
Introduction
With the AutoAmbulator, HealthSouth brings cutting-edge technology into the rehabilitation process. The AutoAmbulator is an innovative therapeutic device designed to help rehabilitate patients who experience difficulty walking.
Patients with gait disorders often experience problems with balance, coordination and posture. An abnormal walking pattern requires more energy and often results in decreased functional ability for even the simplest activities in daily life. For those with a walking impairment, the AutoAmbulator may help advance their rehabilitation process.
The AutoAmbulator is a sophisticated treadmill device unparalleled in its ability to help patients during gait training.
Using
clinical practice of body weight supported ambulation, combined with advanced robotics, the AutoAmbulator simulates
normal walking motion.
Whether an individual has been recently injured or has been unable to walk for years, the AutoAmbulator may be used to improved function. Patients referred to HealthSouth for treatment as a result of a gait disorder have the opportunity to ambulate in a safe environment sooner than they would in a traditional rehabilitation program.
Features
The Food and Drug Administration granted HealthSouth permission to begin using the AutoAmbulator in 2002. Designed with numerous safety features, the AutoAmbulator supports the patient while robotics assist the patient's legs as they walk over a treadmill. Sophisticated programs power the AutoAmbulator through its integrated computer system, while sensors track numerous functions, continuously monitoring and adjusting power and speed according to each patient's physical requirements.
Synchronized robotic legs allow patients to walk safely and create normal gait patterns. The system was designed to allow therapists to safely adjust the amount of weight bearing to each patient's individual rehabilitation plan. Speed of walking can be varied to each patient's tolerance and gradually increased to reproduce gait patterns that simulate normal walking. To eliminate risk of injury, safety features automatically stop the machine when an adverse event occurs, such as a severe spasm, or if the patient's foot improperly strikes the treadmill.
Applications Indications Neurological conditions: Cerebral vascular accident (stroke), Spinal cord injury (SCI)-complete
and incomplete, Traumatic Brain injury, Multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease, Other neurological conditions that result
in gait abnormality, Orthopedic conditions that result in gait abnormality, Patients who are debilitated from deconditioning
or
prolonged illness
For more information, please see our AutoAmbulator FAQ, or use our AutoAmbulator Information Request form. View a list of AutoAmbulator locations to find a facility near you.