DS-OCT22-PG21_Layout 1 18/10/2022 09:59 Page 1
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MACHINE BUILDING, FRAMEWORKS & SAFETY PRODUCTS
ExoskElEton customisEd in sEconds with
lubrication-frEE igus plain bEarings
drylin linear systems and iglidur plain bearings provide
lubrication-free adjustment of an exoskeleton for stroke patients
M
any stroke patients worldwide suffer from hemiplegia (partial paralysis). Exoskeletons such as Harmony from Harmonic Bionics can help rebuild the nerve tracts in arms and shoulders. In order
to quickly adapt the robot-supported system to different body sizes in physiotherapy, the developers rely on the lightweight, lubrication-free and maintenance-free plain bearing technology from igus. Every year, 16 million people worldwide suffer from a stroke. To enable
patients to rehabilitate during physiotherapy, the American company Harmonic Bionics, with the support of the National Science Foundation, has developed an exoskeleton especially for healing muscle damage. The robot named Harmony relieves the shoulder joint and maximises the patient’s range of motion. This system should enable natural and comprehensive therapy for the arms. For this, Harmony relies on Bilateral Sync Therapy (BST). The robot registers the healthy arm movements and synchronises them to the side affected by the stroke in order to help restore the nerve tracts. To allow the exoskeleton to move with the human body, the robot axis must be correctly adapted to the patient as incorrect settings can lead to injuries to the joints. For a quick adaptation of Harmony, the developers picked linear guides and plain bearings from motion plastics specialist igus.
lubrication-frEE and quickly customisEd The drylin T and R series rail guides, drylin R linear bearings and iglidur plain bearings enable easy adjustment of the system to the patient’s height, arm length and shoulder width. The polymer bearings made of the high-performance material iglidur J are distinguished by their high wear resistance and long service life. As there is no need for external lubricants, the bearings are completely maintenance-free, clean and hygienic and ideally suited for medical technology. All components are made of lightweight materials such as plastic and
aluminium. The design is so compact that it can be integrated into the slim design of the robot. “Thanks to the use of the igus polymer bearing technology, the exoskeleton can now be adapted to the patient within seconds,” says Rohit John Varghese, head of Research & Development at Harmonic Bionics.
igus
www.igus.co.uk
From hrs
Fast Lubrication free
Quiet drylin ® linear guides
No lubrication or maintenance required ...
01604 677240
sales@igus.co.uk
The compact and lubrication-free linear guides and plain bearings from igus make the exoskeleton flexibly adaptable
igus.co.uk/drylin-t motion plastics
® OCTOBER 2022 DESIGN SOLUTIONS 21 UK-13xx-drylin DryWay blue
94x270_CC.indd 1 17.10.22 09:10
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