Spinal cord injury effects over 200,000 people in the United States. Challenges in rehabilitation and minimization of secondary complications are significant. Rehabilitation challenges include: patient motivation; cost of treatment; inadequacies of therapies to improve flexibility; balance; strength; and inadequacies of objective measurement of improvement. Secondary complications include decubitus ulcers (pressure sores), contractures, and muscular atrophy. This proposed research will result in an innovative adaptive Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) rehabilitation device focused toward paraplegia. Our goal is to accelerate rehabilitation, decrease costs associated with therapy, prevent secondary complications (decubitus, contractures, and muscular atrophy), and provide a highly motivating environment for exercise. The proposed device, called the SkyCycle(TM), will integrate proven motivational virtual reality game technology, innovative Computer- Adaptive Therapy (CAT(TM)), and a unique recumbent apparatus for SCl rehabilitation.
The potential market for SkyCycle includes over 400 SCI rehabilitation centers worldwide and also addresses the needs of 700 hospital-based fitness centers and the $ 120+ million health club equipment market.
