In the midst of a pandemic, when patients were often limited to being content with remote consultations with healthcare professionals, Levity was born.
• Also read: An invention by a Quebec startup enables a 4-year-old girl to walk
Sarah Lambert completed her studies in physiotherapy in 2018. Instead of doing a masters in this field, she turned to mechanical engineering.
“I wanted to find solutions for the patients I had treated in an internship. Patients had nothing between (physiotherapy) sessions. I wanted to reproduce my manual therapy at home so they could improve remotely,” explains the President of Ora Medical, a company she founded with Louis St-Pierre in 2020.
By holding the patient by the hips, the Levity attempts to “mimic the support of a physical therapist holding back. Depending on how much support a patient needs, the physiotherapist will take some of the weight. It takes a lot of energy for the physio,” explains Ms. Lambert.
The Levity’s support relieves the patient of some of their weight to facilitate their rehabilitation or learning to walk.
“As the patient improves, the partial weight support is adjusted based on progress to allow them to improve while walking. One of our patient partners, who could only walk three steps on her own, did 80 after using the Levity for three months,” says Lambert.
hands free
And unlike traditional walkers that require the user to stand on their arms, the Levity leaves the patient’s hands free.
“The child is upright and can use their hands, play, interact with their surroundings and feel normal. Patients don’t realize they are equipped unlike a previous walker,” adds Ms. Lambert.
Lightweight and foldable, the Levity can be stowed in a car. It is easy to use for parents and is designed for everyday use.
For tele-rehabilitation, the device has sensors whose data can be read by an application on the phone.
“We want to recreate a walk-in mini laboratory. We can take measures such as distance, speed, hull alignment. We can see if the patient is training their legs the way we want, assess their fatigue to see if they are pushing their limits. The patient can also see their progress. It helps him to focus on his rehabilitation,” says the co-founder.
“We are also beginning to develop our first artificial intelligence algorithms that will predict when the patient will be able to walk (unaided),” she continues.
creation
The Levity is aimed at children from 4 to 12 years. But an adult version is planned for next year. Beyond rehabilitation, the device can also have applications for people with reduced mobility.
“By standing, people become more independent in their activities of daily living, for example when cooking,” says Sarah Lambert.
To develop Levity, the two entrepreneurs surrounded themselves with a “scientific committee” made up of physiatrists, pediatricians and a kinesiologist.
The first prototypes will appear in 2021. The company hopes to receive approval from Health Canada in the coming weeks.
“Romie-Rose (see other text) will be one of the first users to receive it,” says Ms. Lambert, who hopes to ship the first units in March. About thirty should be able to be produced by the summer.
extension
Ora Medical grew in the Montreal incubator Centech. The assembly takes place on site, but the company has to move soon.
“We assemble everything in Quebec to ensure good quality control. Parts come from Quebec, Ontario, the United States and Asia. We are looking for new offices. Depending on the requests we receive, we will run out of space,” forecasts Sarah Lambert.
The company also intends to enter the US market later this year, having already received inquiries from hospitals.
The device will cost between $7000 and $9000. The company is in the process of using the RAMQ to eventually allow patients to be reimbursed.
And the demand for new options is already noticeable. Julie Petitclerc-Hoffmann, the mother of little Romie-Rose, has already revealed to the company: “For outside you need a model with wheels!”.
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