K-Robot Newsletter Main
2016 vol. 5
P&S Mechanics Co., Ltd. Manntel Co., Ltd.
Rehabilitation Robot Business Support Project
(The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the National Rehabilitation Center)		 Excellent Cases of Distribution Business for Medical Rehabilitation Robots

Excellent Cases of Distribution Business
for Medical Rehabilitation Robots

As the medical institutions which utilize rehabilitation robots have been increased, results of excellent cases have come out one after another. The National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital and Neofect Co., Ltd have actively promoted the business for rehabilitation robots and received an evaluation of accomplishment beyond the expectation.

The rehabilitation robot has formed a market around patients of spinal injury, stroke, Parkinson's disease, youth's cerebral palsy, and geriatric sacropenia. Especially, as the number of stroke patients has been increased, the distribution of rehabilitation robots is expected to increase.



Excellent Case 1.
National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital-Morning Walk (Jointly developed by Hyundai Heavy Industries/Seoul Asan Medical Center)

The National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital has promoted the yearly introduction and utilization of rehabilitation robots for the patients of stoke, spinal injury, youth's cerebral palsy, Parkinson's disease, and geriatric sacropenia due to chronic wasting disease by the year 2019 from 2016. The Ilsan Hospital has led the improvement in the function of rehabilitation robot through various verification works. Especially, the Ilsan Hospital plans to identify safety and problem at the time of walking robot treatment with a type of End Effector and to promote the improvement activity continuously with manufacturers of robots.

Last year, the Ilsan Hospital was selected for a robot utilizing institution of the distribution business for medical rehabilitation robot. Since September in last year, the Ilsan Hospital has performed tests for the function targeting patients after the introduction of a rehabilitation robot so called 'Morning Walk'. Patients of utilization target are total 109 people of hemiparalysis and diplegia due to stroke(59), paralysis on lower and upper limbs due to spinal injury(29), pediatric cerebral palsy(14), Parkinson's disease (3), Guillain-Barre Syndrome(3), and progressive muscular dystrophy (1). Monthly use hours and number of patients have been maintained for a continuous increase.

▲(Left)'Morning Walk' installed in Robot Walking Treatment Room in Ilsan Hospital
(Right) Appearance of Actual Use of Morning Walk installed in National Rehabilitation Center

In order to evaluate the business performance of walking rehabilitation robot, it is important to inspect and evaluate the target values such as use hours of walking rehabilitation robot, patient's satisfaction, and therapist's satisfaction. In order for the survey on the satisfaction for the rehabilitation robot treatment, the Ilsan Hospital has prepared evaluation sheets targeting patients and therapists and proceeded an evaluation work.

The Ilsan Hospital plans to gather strength to deduce the matters to improve robots based on the use status of rehabilitation robots during the first fiscal year of the business for robot distribution. The Ilsan Hospital has continued the improvement, correction and supplementation works for the problems through the periodic team conferences for more than once a month with the participation from doctors of rehabilitation medicine, exclusive therapists and manufactures. The treatment by rehabilitation robot is not always successful. There were cases of stopping robot treatment by some stroke patients in the middle of treatment who showed low recognition and low concentration. Some patients of spinal injury stopped robot treatment as a phenomena of low proprioception and unstable ankle joint had occurred. Such cases have been utilized for significant data to improve utilization measures of rehabilitation robots.



Excellent Case 2.
Neofect Co., Ltd - Rafael Smart Glove

While the Ilsan Hospital is a demanding company, Neofect Co., Ltd, a starter company in the area of rehabilitation robot, has selected a new technology to develop and supply the rehabilitation robot. The Neofect Co., Ltd is another excellent case of the business for rehabilitation robot. This company has been supplying a rehabilitation medical treatment device, 'Rafael Smart Glove'. This glove is a rehabilitation robot that is being used by patients of paralyzed hands due to a stroke. The rehabilitation robot of Neofect Co., Ltd has been evaluated positively in a point that the company grafted the technology of medical treatment robot with game. Such point has been accepted for a fresh trial that patient can receive rehabilitation that may easily become bored while enjoying games. Combining the recovery of exercise ability with a fun element of game, it has been expanding the base of rehabilitation robot.

▲Rafael Smart Glove used in Parkside Rehabilitation Hospital


A patient who needs a rehabilitation treatment can train his fingers, wrist and arms while wearing Rafael Smart Glove and playing about forty types of games such as 'Catching Blowfish'. In addition, the weight of glove is light to carry around easily so that it has a merit to receive the rehabilitation training without limitation by place. The AI (Artificial Intelligence) technology has been selected to propose suitable games suitable for the level of patient. It is possible for a medical team to prescribe while looking at the saved training data.

The Rafael Glove has currently received certificates from Korea, The U.S and Europe and been used in 10 giant hospitals including National Rehabilitation Center and Seoul National University Hospital. A reason for the good evaluation received in domestic and overseas markets is the product's half price compared to that of overseas product.

Through the reinforcement of clinical cooperation with domestic major hospitals and the product development test, Neofect Co., Ltd has improved the function continuously and begun targeting mainly on The U.S the largest market in the world and Germany the largest market in Europe. Last year, Neofect Co., Ltd established a legal firm in San Francisco and began the sales in the U.S. It has shown a quite well performance. The sales have gathered momentum more after the announcement of clinical thesis in last March stating that the robot rehabilitation helps the actual health recovery.

Neofect Co., Ltd has a plan to target Japanese and Chinese markets through the strategic alliance with local companies. During the first half of this year, the company presented a prototype in the International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and received a good response. Besides this, Neofect Co., Ltd has actively participated in exhibitions in relation to medical devices held in several countries and enthusiastically put an effort for product PR. Neofect Co., Ltd will not only develop various wearable rehabilitation medical devices as well as Rafael Glove for household, but also has a vision to tell the excellency of domestic rehabilitation devices widely in the world market.

Please inquire the following contact point if you have any question on robot or robot company.
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