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Ossur’s Rheo Knee To Be Launched; Garners Accolades Although Ossur's Rheo KneeTM is
expected to have its official global launch into the growing
electronic knee market in February 2005, the Rheo Knee has already
been featured by several US consumer publications.
In July, Business 2.0, a monthly magazine about
business, technology, and innovation, did an in-depth five-page
article about Ossur and the Rheo for its special global issue on
"The Most Innovative Companies in the World." That article was
preceded by another in the Wall Street Journal with the
headline "Bionic Knee 'Learns' How to Walk: New Prosthesis Is
Designed To Adapt to the Movements of Users at Varying Speeds."
In late fall, the Rheo Knee received two more accolades. It was
featured in Time magazine's November 29 cover story "Most
Amazing Inventions of 2004" and then selected for inclusion in
Fortune magazine's prestigious end-of-year feature story,
"The 25 Best Products of the Year."
Popular Mechanics' December 13 issue included an
article about the rehabilitation of guardsman Kevin Pannell who was
on a routine foot patrol in Baghdad when an insurgents grenade blew
away both of his legs. In one section of the five-part article,
titled "Next Step," writers feature artificial limbs that
incorporate electronics, high-tech materials, and sophisticated
engineeringand Ossurs Rheo Knee received first mention.
 On December 17, the Rheo Knee was featured on
The View, an ABC morning talk show hosted by Barbara
Walters. The View's producers selected the Rheo Knee from
among Time magazines "Coolest Inventions of 2004" as one
of the products to be showcased.
Most recently, on December 27, the Rheo was presented by Dr.
Sanjay Gupta on CNN's show, American Morning.
Rheo's Development Phase
In the product's development phase, Ossur worked closely during
the summer of 2004 with a pre-selected group of prosthetists
throughout North America in order to ensure the highest level of
satisfaction and success with a limited number of Rheo Knees, the
company explained. By September 2004, once Ossur had determined
that the first launch phase was successful, the product became
available to all practitioners upon request, with the caveat that
appointments with Ossur's trainers could be scheduled in
conjunction with the sale.
According to amputees wearing the knee, the Rheo's most exciting
advantage is the experience of "walking without resistance." It is
most often praised for making it possible to walk freely with easy
motion and less effort, thus reducing fatigue and oxygen
consumption.
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Robert Kostner of Germany skates with Rheo Knee. The photographer was his prosthetist, Thomas Kipping. |
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The Rheo Knee is the first artificially
intelligent knee system with the ability to learn and adapt to its
users movements, resulting in a continually improved and optimized
performance, according to Ossur. Through the use of a
microprocessor, integrated sensors, and an innovative
magnetorheologic (MR) fluid actuator, the Rheo lets the user walk
as nature intended, with a vastly improved mechanical gait, the
company noted.
The advanced sensor technology - sensing at the rate of 1,000
times per second - combined with the MR actuator, acting at the
rate of 1,000 times per second, reads the user's position and
activity and adjusts for the optimal degree of stability while
walking and standing.
For more information about the Rheo Knee, contact Ossur's
customer service representatives at 800.233.6263. 
Table Of Contents - February 2005
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