New Westminster, British Columbia –

Rehabilitation after a stroke or other debilitating illness can be exhausting, but Fraser Health has two new robotic tools it hopes can improve patient outcomes.

It’s all thanks to stroke patient Toan Nguyen, who donated the devices through the Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation after benefiting from their use at other facilities.

For upper body work, in recent weeks, patients have now been using the ArmeoPower device, which uses virtual reality to simulate real-life activities, such as fishing or running.

Guillain-Barré syndrome patient Linda Mesetovic spoke with CTV News on Wednesday at Queen’s Park Care Centre, where both devices are now operational.

She is grateful to use the ArmeoPower because it allows her to take a more active role in her rehabilitation.

“I don’t feel like I’m being tossed and turned and pushed and so on,” Mesetovic said. “I actually do this myself, yeah. For me, that makes a big difference.

The second device is called the LokoMat.

Stroke patients like Leanne Mork use it to regain balance and mobility.

Patients climb into an exoskeleton suspended above a treadmill, and robotic sensors help them move their legs.

“It’s fun,” Mork told CTV News in an interview Wednesday, fresh off setting a new personal best on the LokoMat on camera. “I hope we can continue to do it.”

Given how physically and mentally demanding physical rehabilitation can be, the fact that both tools incorporate play is something staff see as a benefit.

“Some games are based on real life, so things like grocery shopping allow our patients to be more in context, and that really helps rebuild those neural connections,” said Melanie Mayede, an occupational therapist at Queen’s Park. .

When it comes to the LokoMat in particular, the exoskeleton harness allows people to participate in certain physical activities earlier than they might otherwise.

“With the robotic device, we are able to see low to moderate level patients, whereas with regular harness patients they are more moderate to high level patients,” said Luke Plesa, chief of clinical practice in physiotherapy at Queen’s Park.

And given that the devices are expensive and rare, the facility’s leaders are grateful for the donation.

“I can safely say that if they had not been donated, it would have been very difficult for us to acquire this technology and install it in a Fraser Health site,” said Saba Hena, project manager at Queen’s Park Care Centre.

“We are very grateful to our donor who made this possible. »

Although these devices are used in some private facilities, these two pieces of equipment at Queen’s Park are the only ones of their kind available in British Columbia’s public system.