Cleveland, Ohio - Parker Hannifin Corp. announced that it has entered into clinical trial agreements with four of the top ranked rehabilitation institutions in the United States to support the testing and development of the Indego exoskeleton. Parker is currently developing a second-generation device for clinical trials starting in July 2014 to support submission for FDA approval. Pending regulatory approvals, Parker is targeting commercial launch of Indego in Europe in early 2015 and in the United States in 2016.

Parker has formalized agreements with the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago; Kessler Foundation/Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in West Orange, N.J.; Rusk Rehabilitation at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York, and Craig Hospital in Denver, Colo. These institutions will work in concert with Shepherd Center in Atlanta, Ga., which will continue as Parker’s lead rehabilitation center for clinical testing of the device. Each of these institutions is currently ranked in the top 10 U.S. rehabilitation centers by U.S. News & World Report.

Click here to watch videos about Indego.

“Our objective is to bring Indego to market to enable people who were told they would never walk again to stand upright and walk and to provide a new level of independence,” said Achilleas Dorotheou, head of the human motion and control business unit for Parker. “We have engaged in discussions with the FDA, payers and administrators to best position the commercial launch of Indego. With these agreements we will be working with the best and most respected rehabilitation clinicians and researchers in the country gathering evidence that demonstrates the safety of Indego and proves its tangible clinical and economic benefits.”

Parker aims at having Indego become the first powered exoskeleton or powered orthotic device to receive FDA approval and has been in discussion with the agency during the past year to determine the appropriate classification of the device and obtain input into the design of the clinical trials. The company is also working to secure the regulatory approvals and CE marking for Indego in Europe which are expected by the end of 2014 and is establishing partnerships with leading institutions in the region.  

Neurorehabilitation expert Stefan Bircher, Ph.D., recently joined Parker as global market development manager for the human motion and control business unit. Dr. Bircher will play a leadership role in the commercial launch and sale of the Indego exoskeleton. He was most recently executive vice president of Hocoma Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Hocoma AG.

In July 2014, Indego is expected to be made available by request to additional select U.S. rehabilitation clinics to be included in clinical studies. These studies will build a body of evidence required for reimbursement coverage of Indego by public and private payers when the device becomes available for personal use in the future.

Source: Parker Hannifin Corp.

Cambridge, Mass. – In the heart, as in the movies, 3D action beats the 2D experience, hands down. 

In 3D, healthy hearts do their own version of the twist. Rather than a simple pumping action, they circulate blood as if they were wringing a towel. The bottom of the heart twists as it contracts in a counterclockwise direction while the top twists clockwise. Scientists call this the left ventricular twist, and it can be used as an indicator of heart health.

Click here to read the full article by Kristen Kusek.

Source: Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University

Denver, Colorado – The International Titanium Association (ITA) has issued a Call for Papers to be presented at TITANIUM 2014, the 30th Anniversary Conference, which will be held September 21-24, 2014 at the Hilton Chicago located at 720 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, Ill.

Interested presenters (ITA members and non-members alike) may submit abstracts by e-mail to ita@titanium.org for consideration by the conference organizing committee. Instructions for proper submissions are located in the Industry Events section of the ITA website at www.titanium.org.

Sufficient detail for fair evaluation of the proposed paper and presentation should be included along with an indication which of the following session(s) the presenter would prefer to participate in: raw materials; medical applications; alternative energy; commercial aerospace; military/defense; automotive; medical; industrial markets; economy/finance; energy exploration and production; manufacturing technology; new materials; consumer markets; architectural; and welding & joining. Only abstracts written in English will be considered.

The Call for Papers Deadline is June 16, 2014. 

Questions may be directed to the ITA at 303.404.2221 or by email at ita@titanium.org.

Source: International Titanium Association

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