In the MedTech industry, scientific evidence is essential to be authorized for use by regulatory bodies and to gain support from medical professionals. Biomechanics, the study of the movements and structures of living things using the science of mechanics, can help provide this evidence.
Human biomechanics in particular is often used in the medical industry, as the methodologies can be applied to a variety of sizes and scales, from cells to the entire body to collect data-based evidence. For example, if we look at bodily tissue, we can analyze how the structures of tissues form, how forces shape the tissue and how strong the tissue is.
Since evidence is mandatory, it is also necessary for Gondola Medical Technologies to provide concrete and unbiased evidence and demonstrate that AMPS® therapy is viable, reliable, and legitimate. The hypothesis for Gondola AMPS therapy is that the therapy can improve walking and balancing abilities for patients with neurological disorders. To prove the hypothesis, we can conduct clinical trials and provide quantitative data that clearly reveal the improvements in walking abilities, i.e., gait. Measuring the features of gait: speed, stride length, cadence, asymmetry, swing duration, stance duration, variability, double support time, as well as the foot strike angles and foot clearance, allows us to gain data that demonstrate the improvements resulting from Gondola AMPS therapy. These features can also be directly linked to the mobility, quality of life, risk of falling, and independence of a patient.
At Gondola Medical Technologies, we use Inertial Measurement Units (IMU) to analyze and measure gait. They are small sensors that can measure how the body moves through space while walking. The specific sensors we are using are from GaitUp, a company that combines sensors, algorithms, and biomechanics to analyze motion. Two small sensors configured with the GaitUp algorithm are attached to the feet of patients to measure the gait features reliably and accurately.
