Thecon Technology (HK) Ltd. ("Thecon")

Mobile Exoneuromusculoskeleton for effective, affordable and self-help mobile rehabilitation after stroke

Needs
λ Intensive, repeated and long-term rehabilitation training is critical for improving stroke patients’ motor functions and the ability to perform activities of daily living
λ Outpatients have limited access to post-stroke treatments with the necessary training intensity because of expanding stroke population and a lack of professionals worldwide and other difficulties such as commuting to outpatient services in day hospitals, and the restriction of social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic

Mobile Exoneuromusculoskeleton (ENMS) for Self-help Mobile Rehabilitation
λ A novel multi-integrated robotic system that incorporates exoskeleton, soft robot and neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) in one system, packaged by outdoor sportswear, for effective and self-help mobile rehabilitation after a stroke
λ Outdoor sports clothing design to provide a comfortable wearing experience support coordinated
physical training of the elbows, wrists and finger joints under voluntary effort control through electromyography (EMG)
λ Lightweight, compact and low-power-requirement design makes rehabilitation accessible anytime and anywhere (indoor and outdoor)
λ Long-term telerehabilitation management (real-time training data records)

Voluntary Intention-driven NMES-Robot Hybrid System for Superior Motor Function Recovery
λ Support repeated and intensive practice of the paretic limb with maximised voluntary motor effort and minimised compensatory motions
λ EMG-driven NMES-robot treatment could achieve faster recovery of the upper limbs, more significant motor improvements, better muscle coordination, and higher sustainability of motor gains in the long term compared to pure NMES / solo robot / EMG-driven robot treatment

Novel Service Model – Self-help Telerehabilitation
λ Support rehabilitation training in hospitals and clinics, self-help practice at home, and mobile training in outdoor environments such as a park
λ Effective upper limb treatment provided by rehabilitation laboratory reported by clinical
λ Effective upper limb treatment without requiring on-site and real-time professional supervision, as seen in home-based remote rehabilitation clinical studies, after 20 sessions of training
λ Part of the participants with stroke had completed home-based treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong (when conventional face-to-face post-stroke therapy has been largely suspended)

Awards and Industry Impacts
λ A Grand Prize, a Gold Medal and a Special Merit Prize, at the 47th International Exhibition of Invention of Geneva, 2019 λ Listed as one of the 5 key developments in the rehabilitation robots market in “Rehabilitation Robots Market - Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2018-2026”, Coherent Market Insights, 2021