Engineering:MuSmate
The MuSmate is an invention that helps those afflicted with multiple sclerosis and other neurological conditions to walk. It was invented by Anne and Ken Armitage in 2005, and released for the public in April 2006. The Musmate is a treatment for foot drop which uses an elastic cord to lift the foot.[1] This is attached to a shoulder harness and allows the strong muscles in the leg, back, and shoulder to support the weaker muscles in the foot. The design allows for the height of the foot lift and the level of support to be adjusted easily.[2]
Ken Armstrong says that he jury-rigged the prototype when his wife Anne wanted to walk two kilometers to get to the bar that serves "the best cream teas in Dartmoor" .[3] The device was successful in a clinical trial, and was nominated for the "best new product" award at Naidex, the leading United Kingdom disability convention held in Birmingham in 2006.[citation needed]
In early 2008, The MuSmate device was approved by the United States FDA (Federal Drug Administration) and will be distributed in the USA starting in May 2008.
In 2011 it appeared to have gathered acceptance from MS patients.[4]
References
- ↑ "Foot Drop in MS". https://multiplesclerosisnewstoday.com/foot-drop-in-ms/. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
- ↑ BBC Report
- ↑ BBC News article
- ↑ "MS experts in Britain have to open their minds". Daily Telegraph. 7 March 2011. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/8359854/MS-experts-in-Britain-have-to-open-their-minds.html. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
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