How a device called an exoskeleton is helping one N.B. man get back on his feet

Sam Farley · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 02, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

After sustaining a spinal cord wounded successful a centrifugal conveyance accident, Josh Nevers is learning to locomotion again, adjacent though helium doesn't have much feeling successful his legs.

A diligent astatine the Stan Cassidy Centre for Rehabilitation astatine the Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital successful Fredericton, 1 facet of his physiotherapy sessions has particularly made a difference: a robotic suit called an exoskeleton, oregon much fully, the EksoNR Robotic Exoskeleton.

"It feels beauteous astonishing to locomotion with it again because you're really moving your legs similar you are walking," Nevers said.

"I anticipation it gets maine truthful I tin usage my limb braces again."

Physiotherapist Erica de Passillé said the exoskeleton is a battery-operated, wearable instrumentality that gives patients with minimal question successful their legs the quality to walk. 

"It allows patients to instrumentality much steps than they different could implicit ground," De Passillé said. "So it's a fantastic portion of technology."

The suit was purchased with a donation from the Chalmers Foundation, the Horizon Health Network said successful a quality release. The lone different 1 successful Atlantic Canada is owned by the University of New Brunswick, which had fto the infirmary usage it since 2017, the merchandise said.

Meghan Leroux, his different physiotherapist, said Nevers had no question successful his little assemblage and has had further limb injuries successful caller years. 

"And truthful we're conscionable trying to get him backmost to being capable to locomotion wrong the location again and backmost to what helium was doing," Leroux said. 

She said they've been utilizing this "cutting borderline equipment" doubly a week with Nevers to get him comfy successful a lasting position. And it's been rewarding to spot his growth. 

"Especially erstwhile you person a extremity that you're moving toward, and you cognize that this is portion of getting determination and portion of that journey, you know, and to get him backmost to wherever helium wants to be," Leroux said.

Using the exoskeleton tin assistance a diligent yet go much independent, De Passillé said. 

"And the feeling of being capable to basal up and instrumentality steps is similar nary other, particularly if they haven't been capable to successful a while."