Update on last week's story: 'Laser guide shoes prevent 'freezing' in Parkinson's patients trying to walk'
| The Path Finder, made by Walk With Path, prevents freezing of gait in Parkinson's patients. (Image: Lise Pape) |
Last week (12/22/2017) I posted a Laser Focus World news story titled "Laser guide shoes prevent 'freezing' in Parkinson's patients trying to walk," along with videos showing the experimental laser shoes in use by a Parkinson's patient.
I have since received information from Lise Pape, the founder of a startup company called Walk With Path (www.walkwithpath.com). Lise let me know that her company has agreements with Murielle Ferraye, the researcher at the University of Twente who developed the laser shoes, to produce the device.
Lise notes that the product (in the form of an item attachable to shoes), which provides visual cues using laser light to alleviate freezing of gait, is now on the market; it's called Path Finder (www.walkwithpath.com/path-finder).
"I founded Walk With Path three years ago, inspired by my father's struggle with Parkinson’s disease. After having studied Innovation Design Engineering and Human Biology, I created the product, Path Finder, an aid for walking providing visual cues," she explains.
She also clued me in to a video in which patients with Parkinson's test the Path Finder device and comment on the visual cues. You will see a walking test at the end of the video.
(Video: Lise Pape)