TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taipei Medical University Hospital has used a robot-assisted system to help an 11-year-old girl with cerebral palsy during rehabilitation, and her mobility has shown noticeable improvement, CNA reported.
Hospital Director Shih Chun-ming (施俊明) said the hospital introduced a Swiss robot-assisted rehabilitation system in 2014. The hospital has five such systems, each equipped with modules designed for children.
He noted the hospital is one of the few medical institutions in Taiwan offering robot-assisted rehabilitation for children. As of 2024, the systems have supported about 11,000 rehabilitation sessions.
Most children using the system have cerebral palsy, followed by those with mobility impairments caused by brain injuries and brain tumors, Shih added.
At a press conference on Thursday, the hospital shared the case of the girl, who developed cerebral palsy because of a lack of oxygen at birth, leading to severe mobility issues.
She began rehabilitation at 10 months old, but with limited results. The hospital said the robot-assisted system has helped improve her limb strength and allowed her upper body to better support itself.
In November 2022, the hospital established a robot-assisted rehabilitation center that combines gait training with rehabilitation therapy to improve treatment outcomes. Tseng Sung-hui (曾頌惠), a rehabilitation physician at the hospital, said the system is suitable for individuals with poor control of the lower limbs and torso or poor balance.
Tseng added that the system can detect a person’s joint movements and use motors to provide support. This helps train basic movements such as sitting, standing, walking, and climbing stairs.
To help cover treatment costs of NT$6,000 (US$180) per session, the hospital has set up a fund to reduce the financial burden on families.
