The bionic leg sleeve from Cionic was created in partnership with fuseproject designer Yves Behar.

CIONIC and Yves Behar’s fusedproject design firm have joined forces to create the Cionic Neural Sleeve, a FDA-cleared bionic leg wearable that uses artificial intelligence to improve human mobility in real time, powered by CIONIC’s AI algorithms.

The CIONIC Neural Sleeve combines cutting edge design with advanced mobility technology to assist individuals living with mobility issues like multiple sclerosis, stroke, and cerebral palsy. Available in a variety of colours and sizes, the Sleeve is simple to put on and take off and is well-suited for everyday wear. The fabric is breathable and lightweight, and feels like an athletic leg. Additionally, the user feels more in control of their mobility journey with the CIONIC app. (Businesswire)

How it works

While sophisticated sensors continuously monitor movement in real-time to evaluate muscle firing and limb position, personalized algorithms deliver Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) to activate the necessary muscles precisely coordinated to the gait cycle.

Cionic’s proprietary Read+Write Neural Interface measures muscle firings and limb position to analyze every movement.

The software-delivered FES is then delivered across the full leg represented by the four major muscle groups of the leg, namely, hamstring, quadriceps, calf, and shin.

The system knows when you’re sitting, standing, or walking, providing the right stimulation at the right time. What’s more, the algorithms are adaptive, and learn to optimize stimulation patterns to make each step smarter than the last.

With the Cionic App the wearer can monitor their progress and share data with their healthcare providers, as well as access a library of exercises and educational resources.

The creation of the device was motivated by CIONIC Founder and CEO Jeremiah Robison’s daughter who suffers from cerebral palsy.

The boundaries of human-machine interface

“Building bionic clothing that can augment human movement takes a thoughtful and holistic approach. It starts with advanced technology capable of adapting to each user’s mobility needs to deliver meaningful outcomes. Then we designed it to be comfortable to wear and effortless to use. From software to soft goods, our team of experts have pushed the boundaries of human-machine interface to deliver the future of assistive technology,” says CIONIC Founder and CEO Jeremiah Robison.

Results

In trials, strong improvement was found on the two key measures associated with foot drop: dorsiflexion at heel strike (94% of users), and ankle inversion during swing (88% of users). Notably, when combining the two measures, there was an average improvement of 9° for participants (5° is clinically significant).

In home usability trials, reported mobility improved for many users; while the number of users experiencing moderate to severe pain was reduced by 60%, the number of users experiencing moderate to severe anxiety or depression declined by 75%.

CIONIC is now accepting pre-orders at cionic.com for early 2023 delivery.

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