Concept: UK assistive technology startup Lusio Rehab has launched a wearable rehabilitation device called LusioMATE that motivates patients to engage more with their physical therapy and rehab programs at Arab Health 2022. It can be used in a variety of therapeutic settings and specialties, including outpatient clinics, home or community-based rehab, and acute in-patient stroke rehab. The startup aims to deliver a technological solution that could encourage patients while also providing professionals with useful data to improve outcomes.

Nature of Disruption: LusioMATE is a remote monitoring and prescription ecosystem that includes a wearable device, therapeutic gaming platform, and clinician dashboard. Patients can use the device with a wide range of motion and for any region of the body. LusioMATE allows users to participate in games that are designed to stimulate, engage, and motivate movement, as well as to aid in the completion of rehab and general physical therapy goals. Instead of depending on self-reporting measures, clinicians can receive accurate, objective, real-time data to make informed therapeutic judgments about their patients’ movement goals, along with the ability to change or develop those movement goals remotely. To reduce the number of out-patient visits, LusioMATE also facilitates the deployment of a telerehabilitation program. The idea is to create better outcomes by encouraging patients to do more physical movements and improve engagement during rehabilitation programs, which can also reduce future care expenses. LusioMATE claims to have a significant and unique edge over most other wearable and/or motion sensors on the market due to the compact size of the proprietary Lusio Sensors, which allows for the motivation of both gross and fine movement goals.

Outlook: Patients undergoing a rehabilitation program for physical therapy typically find the process burdensome. When patients are undergoing rehabilitation at home or in the community, or when they are not visiting their therapist as an in-patient, adherence is often low, and the quantity of physical therapy they receive is self-reported. LusioMATE intends to provide patients with more meaningful and high-quality therapy in the community and help therapists to utilize it in clinic settings alongside other rehabilitation devices. The device was originally designed to assist children with cerebral palsy, but it has now been adopted to assist patients of all ages with a variety of diseases, including spinal injuries, chronic pain, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis. LusioMATE can be used in the clinic, at home, anytime, anywhere, with gaming apps for all Apple/Android devices and smart TVs.

This article was originally published in Verdict.co.uk