NASHVILLE, Tennessee—National Seating and Mobility (NSM), a provider of complex rehabilitation technology (CRT), mobility and accessibility solutions, announced a partnership with Ekso Bionics Holdings Inc., an exoskeleton technology company, in efforts to broaden North American access to the “Ekso Indego,” a powered exoskeleton device created for individuals living with spinal cord injuries (SCIs) and other mobility challenges. The partnership aims to establish NSM as the exclusive Ekso Indego personal distributor in the CRT industry.
“NSM is committed to investing in resources and partnerships that enable us to bring the most advanced mobility and accessibility solutions to those we serve,” said Crispin Teufel, CEO of NSM. “We are proud to partner with Ekso Bionics to expand access to the life-changing Ekso Indego personal device to those who rely on CRT equipment and can benefit from the mobility and therapy this innovative technology provides.”
Ekso Indego personal is a wearable lower extremity powered exoskeleton that seeks to enable individuals living with SCIs to stand and walk independently. It is currently the only portable exoskeleton device that offers users a modular quick-connect design, which aims to allow users to put on and take off the device without assistance. A light exoskeleton device, the Ekso Indego seeks to offer ease of handling, transportation and storage, enabling individuals to use it as an adjunct mobility to their custom wheelchair.
“We are excited to expand the distribution of the Ekso Indego personal device through this strategic commercial partnership with NSM,” said Scott Davis, CEO of Ekso Bionics. “Both companies see a world where people have widespread access to innovative technologies that allow them to rethink their current physical limitation. We are looking forward to working with NSM to make that a reality. And as a fast-growing, well-established company in the CRT space, NSM’s proven expertise and robust infrastructure are well aligned with our growth strategy.”
In the 2024 Home Health Prospective Payment System rule, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) added exoskeletons to Medicare’s brace benefit category, which aims to expand coverage of personal devices like the Esko Indego.