Hyderabad start-up rolls out arm rehabilitation device

Hyderabad: A start-up Be-Able Health, incubated at IIT-Hyderabad, has developed a gamified arm rehabilitation device for neuro-rehabilitation of stroke victims and motor rehabilitation of victims with upper motor deficit.

The ‘ArmAble’ was unveiled by Dr. Rajiv Kumar, vice-chairman of NITI Aayog in Delhi recently.

ArmAble is the first product of the startup and is aimed at solving a pressing need for an intensive, engaging and regular rehabilitation therapy for the upper limbs. It is aimed at conditions such as cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, fracture and frozen shoulder.

During the event, the ‘BIRAC TiE Winner Award 2019 for Women’ was also presented to Ms Akitha Kolloju, co-founder of HEAMAC Healthcare, which was also incubated by IIT Hyderabad.

Accepting the award, Ms. Akitha Kolloju said, “The grant will boost our efforts to increase the efficiency of treatment and reduce the neonatal mortality rate due to severe jaundice.”

“Nearly 13 million infants per year globally are unable to process bilirubin quickly enough and require jaundice treatment to prevent death or lifelong disability. Even though the cure is simple and this condition preventable, existing solutions are unable to address jaundice of different severities, resulting in extended therapy time and morbidity,” she said

HEAMAC Healthcare has developed a device that provides graded phototherapy so that babies suffering from physiological jaundice get sufficient illumination, Ms Kolloju said.