Cosima: Spinal neuroprosthesis

Main system: Neuroprostheses

2025: Cosima and NeuroChat have created a joint spinal neuroprosthesis with neuro-interface to rehabilitate patients after stroke

The companies "Cosima" and "" Neurochat developed a portable spinal neuroprosthesis with a neurointerface to rehabilitate patients after stroke. The device has received registration from Roszdravnadzor and is already being used in leading medical centers. Russia TAdviser I got acquainted with the development data in January 2025.

According to Kommersant, neuroprosthesis is a six-channel stimulator with an electrode matrix weighing up to 2 kg, which is applied to the back in the area of ​ ​ lumbar thickening. The device allows patients to restore motor functions due to their own muscles enhanced by percutaneous electrical stimulation of the spinal cord.

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Фото: Cosima

The general director of Kosima, Sergei Chernoutsan, stressed that the technique of restoring walking using neuroprosthesis is more effective than traditional exoskeletons weighing 25-30 kg, since it allows the patient to walk due to his own muscle activation.

To start self-walking after a stroke, it takes two to three weeks of daily classes for four hours. The device can also be used to rehabilitate patients with cerebral palsy and spinal injuries.

NeuroChat has supplemented neuroprosthesis with a system for controlling the power of thought. Alesya Chichinkina, director of communications and international development at the company, explained that the system includes a special cap with eight electrodes that read brain signals and transmit them to a computer to activate movements.

The development has already been implemented in a number of leading medical institutions, including the National Medical Research Center named after V.A. Almazov, the Russian National Research Medical Center named after N.I. Pirogov, the "Treatment and Rehabilitation Center" of the Ministry of Health and the Institute of Neurology of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

The Movement - Life project, which unites the technologies of both companies, was among the 20 finalists of the Innovation in ReHabilitation accelerator competition at Skolkovo. Developers continue to refine the system, working to improve the interaction between reading brain signals and activating movements.^[1]

2023: Spinal neuroprosthesis announcement

The spinal neuroprosthesis of the Skolkovo resident is presented, which will return the ability to move to patients after a stroke. This was announced on March 7, 2023 by representatives of the Skolkovo Foundation.

Spinal neuroprosthesis

As reported, the device stimulates spinal cord structures through a specially designed electrode array. This method of spinal neuromodulation can be adapted to recover people from cerebrospinal injury, as well as children with cerebral palsy.

By acting on different areas of the spinal cord through an electrode matrix, spinal neuroprosthesis ensures the integration of systems that control human posture and locomotor. It regulates not only motor but also visceral functions: cardiovascular, respiratory and genitourinary. Such a complex impact makes it possible to rehabilitate patients even in very serious condition in a short time.

Spinal neuroprosthesis

Device combines elements of restoration of motor functions and activation of innate coordinated movements of arms and legs. It can be used for rehabilitation in a clinic or at home.

Spinal neuroprosthesis

Registration certificate for "Spinal neuroprosthesis" of our resident gives rehabilitation specialists an additional tool. Clinical studies have confirmed that this lightweight portable device helps even the most severe patients regain movement. It is especially important that after the course of rehabilitation with the use of the device, more than 80% of patients retain a long-term effect, which leads to a decrease in the level of disability and an increase in the quality of life. told Yulia Shcheglova, senior project manager of the Skolkovo Foundation biomedical technology cluster

Spinal neuroprosthesis

Spinal neuroprosthesis, developed with the support of the NTI Foundation, was focused on the recovery of patients after stroke. Studies were conducted at the clinical base of the Almazov Institute in St. Petersburg and showed that multilevel stimulation of the spinal cord in combination with locomotor exercises is a working tool for neurorehabilitation of motor pathology.

Over the past two years, studies in patients with cerebral palsy and after stroke have shown a significant improvement in the quality of walking in these categories of patients. They give reason to believe in the possibility of restoring motor function, and not replacing it with prostheses, exoskeletons or wheelchairs. We have learned not only to affect the affected function, but also to control it. The trend is turning from habilitation to rehabilitation. The technique is based on the technology of non-invasive neurostimulation of the spinal cord. told Sergey Chernoutsan, CEO of Kosima

In the future, the team plans to create cortical-spinal interface technology that will encode the patient's intention to perform movements. So he will be able to command the brain to trigger spinal stimulation and control robotic locomotor devices.

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