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Enduro has been selected as a presenter at the World's Best Technologies Showcase* in Arlington, Texas in March.

Enduro Medical Technology used NASA Goddard Space Flight Center’s cable-compliant joint (CCJ) technology and compliant walker to develop the Secure Ambulation Module (SAM). SAM is a revolutionary rehabilitative walker enabling patients to stand and ambulate without the aid of a physical therapist. The walker is currently being used to help soldiers and other patients with a variety of injuries at Walter Reed Army Medical Center* gain strength to stand and walk on their own. SAM is also being used to help severely overweight patients at Kindred Hospital* in Greensboro, NC support their own body weight to enable exercise programs. Enduro has also built and tested a prototype of a youth version of the walker (SAM-Y) and plans to develop an equine prototype for use in horse rehabilitation.

Benefits of Technology Transfer

The technology invented at NASA and developed for commercial use by Enduro Medical Technology enhances quality of care and safety for both patients and therapists, and also offers potential to drastically aid equine rehabilitation:

• Reduced patient injury: The security provided by SAM reduces patient injuries from falls and boosts confidence during therapy.
  
  
• Earlier rehabilitation: Since they do not need to support their own weight, many patients can begin ambulatory rehabilitation earlier in their treatment.
  
  
• Better positioning: Freeing the patient’s arms allows the upper extremities to be properly positioned during therapy.
  
  
• Longer and specialized sessions: SAM enables patients to have longer therapy sessions or more specialized treatment.
  
  
• Reduced therapist injury: SAM dramatically reduces the back injuries sustained by therapists in bringing patients to a standing position and assisting them during gait therapy.
  
  
• Cost and resource savings: Because SAM eliminates the need for a physical therapist to hold a patient upright during therapy sessions, therapists can serve multiple patients simultaneously, reducing costs for medical facilities.
  
  
• Reduced number of deaths and shorter rehab time following equine surgeries: The veterinary community supports Enduro’s proposed application of SAM for horses, stating that the device may help reduce the number of deaths following medical procedures and the need to euthanize animals following a leg fracture by enabling the horse to stand in a safe, controlled environment.

About Enduro Medical Technology

Headquartered in South Windsor, CT, Enduro Medical Technology was founded in 2002 as a small company focused on designing and manufacturing custom wheelchairs. In 2003, the company narrowed its focus to concentrate fully on SAM and other CCJ technology-based rehabilitative devices.

Technology Origins

In the 1980s, NASA required a technology that would facilitate mechanical isolation of sounding rocket assemblies as well as provide compliance for robots to grip or join objects. As part of this robotics research, the late James Kerley developed the cable-compliant joint (CCJ) technology, which provided customizable structural connections and selective, subtle cushioning, twisting, and alignment in six directions, allowing contact surfaces to be joined together. 

Finding a New Use

While the CCJ technology answered NASA’s requirements, it was readily clear that the subtle movement the technology facilitated could easily be extended to other applications. In the 1990s, researchers at Goddard integrated the CCJ technology into a patented walker that supported the pelvis and provided compliance that imitated hip joint movement. Suffering from arthritis, Kerley realized that pain management could be achieved by using the walker to alleviate weight on the legs to facilitate greater mobility.

Goddard licensed the technology to Enduro, giving birth to the SAM walker for humans. After establishing the device’s use and benefits for human rehabilitation, Enduro engineers began to engage in discussions with doctors at nationally renowned veterinary hospitals. Interest among this community was high and convinced Enduro that the CCJ-based technology could also be incorporated into a rehabilitative device designed specifically for horses.

The Transfer Process

In 2003, Enduro Medical Technology learned of the compliant walker through industry peers who were using a prototype of Goddard’s technology. Realizing the market potential of the device, Enduro contacted Goddard and then worked with the Innovative Partnerships Program (IPP) Office to license the technologies. The company then completed the project by modifying the cable-compliant system into an advanced walker with a flexible harness that embraces the lower torso. Doing so enabled the device to support a patient without the aid of a physical therapist. In February 2007, Enduro secured a new field-of-use license from Goddard to develop SAM-Equine.

Looking Ahead

While SAM is showing remarkable results for patients at Walter Reed and Kindred Hospital, Enduro continues to invest in further development and exploration of CCJ technology-based devices. A “Sit-To-Stand” unit, also based on CCJ technology, is being used to help patients stand on their own. The company also has released and tested a prototype of SAM-Y and is working to insert the youth version into the marketplace. In addition, ongoing efforts to secure funding will enable the building of a prototype of SAM-Equine, and the company currently plans to work on the equine industry requirements with the University of Georgia’s School of Veterinary Medicine.

Contact

Innovative Partnerships Program Office
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Phone: (301) 286-2642
E-mail: techtransfer@gsfc.nasa.gov

(2007)