▲ GOS / CEO Kim Chang-geul

Developed to properly utilize FES

SERA, the gait rehabilitation assist device

GEOS (CEO Kim Chang-geul) developed GOSCARE SERA, a device that assists and controls gait rehabilitation. SERA, short for Smart Electric Rehabilitation Aid, is a functional electrical stimulator that assists patients with central nervous system damage caused by stroke, incomplete spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy, or multiple sclerosis. When the central nervous system is damaged, a symptom called sagging gait appears. A sagging gait is a symptom in which the muscles of the anterior interscapularis and calf muscles that lift the ankle upward are weakened due to damage to the peripheral nerves in the leg, and the ankle sags without force in the downward direction. 

SERA is a device that utilizes FES (Functional Electronic Stimulation) to solve this problem. FES refers to obtaining functional movement of a muscle by applying electrical force stimulation to a paralyzed muscle or nerve. It is commonly used to improve standing and gait in patients with lower extremity paralysis, and to improve hand and arm movements in patients with quadriplegia. Kim explains “FES is not a treatment method developed by us, but is a treatment that most rehabilitated people, especially stroke patients, receive. Often, people who cannot walk do FES to prevent muscle strength from being reduced for quick rehabilitation, but they usually do it while sitting. It is used in the calf, shoulder blade, etc. to maintain muscle strength without dislocation.” 

To help the sick and weary

SERA, the functional, comfortable and good looking medical device

Regarding the company name GOS, Kim explained “I want to free those who are struggling and exhausted from suffering as people of God. Pain is gone in God.” He received GMP certification, which is a medical device manufacturing and quality control standard, from the Korea Conformity Laboratories. 

SERA has various functions to help people who want to rehabilitate walking. Its foot pressure distribution sensor is three in total, and two points are added to the front of the leg as well as the heel axle where the sensor is usually installed in FES products. Thanks to this, it is possible to analyze the patient’s gait in more detail when moving to the gait speed and stairs and associations. Because FES is electrically stimulated, there are quite a few patients who complain of discomfort when receiving treatment like a low-frequency therapy device. To prevent this, SERA temporarily relieved the discomfort by gently applying electrical stimulation. Various detailed settings such as the frequency, pulse width, and intensity of stimulation are possible to provide appropriate electrical stimulation for each patient. In addition, SERA was designed with a wearable type from the beginning and made it easy to wear even for hemiplegic patients. With such technology and consideration for patients, SERA is a product that is difficult to find in Korea with its functionality and convenience. It is a product that has been certified for manufacturing by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and ‘medical device’ grade 2 certification.

Daily walk into exercise

GOSCARE Healthwalking, the EMS walking exercise device

GOS recently developed GOSCARE Healthwalking (hereafter health walking), an EMS rehabilitation exercise aid device following SERA. EMS (Electrical Muscle Stimulus) is an exercise that gives electrical stimulation to muscles like FES. In order to prevent muscle loss of astronauts staying in outer space, NASA initially stimulated them with an artificial micro-current. The health walking was developed by GOS so that the general public could also use it based on this. 

Kim explained “Looking at foreign papers, there were many stories about sarcopenia in the general public. There is a valve on the side of the calf, and it is the calf muscle that circulates the blood, so if the calf muscle is weak, there will be a problem with the blood circulation part. In particular, there was an opinion that the slowing of walking speed was also viewed as a problem of calf muscle strength.” As such, health walking can be used as a walking mode like SERA to provide electrical stimulation through active exercise to help calf health. Also, when not moving directly, you can use an exercise mode that stimulates the calf muscles by outputting each set stimulus. This healthwalking is expected to be officially released early next year.