Abilitech Medical, which creates assistive technology to help people with weak arms due to neuromuscular conditions or injuries, has been issued a Medical Device Establishment License (MDEL) from Health Canada.
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The commercial license allows Canadian patients to obtain Abilitech’s proprietary medical device, the Abilitech Assist. It also sanctions Abilitech to work with medical device partners within Canada.
Last year Abilitech partnered with the Praxis Spinal Cord Institute, based in Vancouver, to help scale its device for mass commercialisation.
Angie Conley, founder and CEO of Abilitech Medical, said: “We’re proud to have entered the Canadian marketplace, effectively immediately. There are many individuals with Spinal Cord Injuries, Muscular Dystrophy, Multiple Sclerosis, and other neuromuscular disorders who will benefit from our assistive technology, and are anxious to perform daily activities like eating, brushing teeth and opening doors.”
The Abilitech Assist, introduced in the U.S. last year, is the first and only powered orthotic device to include assistance at the elbow and the shoulder. The externally worn product uses a combination of custom-calibrated springs, motors, and firmware to provide functional independence to patients who have lost movement of their arms. It can help users lift objects up to 12 ounces and supports range of motion at the shoulder and elbow.
Conley added: “We’re excited to build connections and demonstrate outcomes with clinicians and patients throughout Canada. Our device is intuitive and easy to use, can be leveraged in numerous settings and benefits families as well as patients by lessening the burden of care.”
