16 million people worldwide suffer a stroke every year. To enable patients to rehabilitate in physiotherapy, the American company Harmonic Bionics, with support from the National Science Foundation, has developed an exoskeleton specifically for healing muscle damage. The robot, called Harmony, relieves the shoulder joint and shoulder girdle and maximizes the patient's range of motion. The system is designed to enable natural and comprehensive therapy of the arms.

Harmony relies on Bilateral Sync Therapy (BST) for this. The robot registers the healthy arm movements and synchronizes them to the side affected by the stroke in order to help restore the nerve pathways. In order for the exoskeleton to move with the human body, the robot axis must be correctly adjusted to the patient, as incorrect adjustment can lead to joint injuries. To quickly adjust Harmony, the developers used linear guides and plain bearings from Igus.

Lubrication-free and quick to adjust
Drylin T and R series rail guides, Drylin R linear bearings and Iglidur plain bearings make it easy to adjust the system to the patient's height, arm length and shoulder width. The polymer bearings used, made from the high-performance material Iglidur J, are characterized by their high wear resistance and durability. By dispensing with external lubricants, the bearings are completely maintenance-free, clean and hygienic and therefore ideal for medical technology.

All components are made of lightweight materials such as plastic and aluminum. The design is so compact that it can be integrated into the slim design of the robot. "Thanks to the use of Igus polymer bearing technology, the exoskeleton can now be adapted to the patient within seconds," says Rohit John Varghese, Head of Research & Development at Harmonic Bionics, enthusiastically. as