Practicing Walking in a Coma

Von Patrick Schroeder

"Studies show that early mobilization can not only reduce secondary complications, but also contributes to an accelerated recovery process and a faster return to independence," says Brigitte Schraetzenstaller, Managing Director of Reactive Robotics. "With our assistance system, bedridden intensive care patients can now practice walking without nursing staff having to mobilize them out of bed, which often poses a significant risk. Early mobilization also has positive effects on cognitive performance and mental well-being and can reduce emotional changes such as depression and anxiety during long periods of lying down."

And this is how the assistance system from Munich works: Part one of the solution is a special intensive care bed that can be electrically raised vertically up to an angle of 70°. Part two is the mobile robotic part - a robot on a trolley with wheels - with the trolley a specialist can dock the robot at the bottom end of the bed.

The patient is connected to the robot using Velcro straps on the footrests, the thighs are connected to the robot's arms using leg adapters, and the patient's chest is secured with a wide belt. A seat adapter under the patient's buttocks also ensures that the full body weight is not placed directly on the legs. Once these preparations have been made, the specialist can start a movement program using a touchscreen and raise the bed continuously at the touch of a button. The robot arms then carry out a controlled walking-like movement of the legs.

"Thanks to this structure, even people in a coma can be uprighted and moved in a safe environment," says Maximilian Große-Dunker. The second managing director of Reactive Robotics GmbH points out another special feature: software that recognizes how actively the patient participates in the movement and automatically adjusts the support. Background: "Particularly large functional improvements are seen in the rehabilitation of neurological patients when they initiate the movements themselves." After mobilization has taken place, the mobile, robotic part can be undocked from the bed and moved with the trolley to the next bed or patient in order to carry out mobilization with them as well.

Munich-based Reactive Robotics GmbH was founded in 2015. The starting point was two essential factors: the realization that early mobilization is very helpful for the majority of seriously ill patients, but the increasing shortage of staff means that purely personnel mobilization will no longer be possible in the future. Typically, it takes up to four people to help an intensive care patient walk down the corridor in a conventional way - robotics should provide relief here.

Investors were convinced by this plan. Reactive Robotics has so far raised a total of 15 million (EURO) in capital in several rounds. The European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund, an initiative of the European Commission that supports deep-tech start-ups and SMEs, recently joined the investors. With the financial backing, the young company developed the robot system to market maturity and convinced the first hospitals. Studies show that robotic early mobilization directly in the patient's bed enables more frequent and longer mobilization units.

The Vemotion system is used in leading clinics in Germany and abroad. "With Vemotion, even ventilated patients can be treated more frequently in a safe environment and at the same time the physical strain on nursing staff and therapists can be reduced," says Große-Dunker. "The idea of ​​turning the patient bed into a therapy device makes it possible to implement early mobilization even more efficiently." But the market situation for reactive robotics is challenging, despite positive feedback from hospitals. "The Covid-19 pandemic slowed us down because intensive care units were completely overloaded and new installations were virtually impossible during this time," says Schraetzenstaller. "Even today it remains difficult to convince hospitals to invest."

At least: The recently published S3 guideline on the positioning and mobilization of critically ill patients in intensive care units at least brings the topic more into focus. "However, high-quality early mobilization is still implemented comparatively little in this country," says Schraetzenstaller. The company is therefore currently concentrating on the US market, which is increasingly relying on early exercise therapy to shorten the stay of patients in intensive care units. "In general, the investment in our assistance system pays for itself within a very short time."

Reactive Robotics GmbH

Founded: 2015

Sector: Medical technology

Employees: 21

Sales: worldwide

Sales: n/a