AlterG

m320 anti gravity treadmill
AlterG, Inc.
Industry Medical devices
Founded 2005
Founder Sean Whalen
Headquarters Fremont, California, USA
Key people
 Steve Basta, CEO and Director
Products Treadmills, bionic legs
Revenue Increase$ USD (2014)
Increase$ USD (2014)
Number of employees
 50 (2014)
Website www.alterg.com

AlterG, Inc. is an American medical device company founded in 2005 by Sean Whalen in Fremont, California. The company makes mobility enhancement products for physical therapy and athletic training. The first product, the Anti-Gravity Treadmill, now comes in three models, the F320, M320, and P200. In 2013 the company acquired Tibion Corporation and added the Bionic Leg to its list of products. Steve Basta is CEO.

History

Sean Whalen and his father developed the original prototype of the Anti-Gravity Treadmill in the family garage.[1] They used technology developed by NASA to create a treadmill that unweights a user through "differential air pressure."[2] The Nike Oregon Project and legendary runner and coach Alberto Salazar as well as the Oakland Raiders and the Golden State Warriors tested and used the prototype.[2] In 2007, the Washington Wizards were the first professional sports team to purchase the P200 model,[3] and by 2008, the Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors, Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, Houston Texans, and Phoenix Suns all purchased the P200 for their training rooms.[1]

In 2008, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared the Anti-Gravity Treadmill, which at the time went by the name G-Trainer, as a medical device applicable for uses in rehabilitation.[4] Since then the company's Anti-Gravity Treadmill has been used for rehabilitating lower extremity injury or surgery, aerobic conditioning, weight control, gait training for neurological conditions, strengthening and conditioning the elderly.[5] The company named Steve Basta as CEO in 2011. Steve is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins Biomedical Engineering program.[6][7] In 2013, AlterG acquired the Tibion Corporation, and took over production and sales of its flagship product, the Bionic Leg.[8]

Technology

All of AlterG's products are manufactured and assembled at the company’s headquarters in Fremont, CA.[9] The company’s line of Anti-Gravity Treadmills and its Bionic Leg both use patented technologies.[10][11][12][13][14]

Differential air pressure

NASA developed the differential air pressure technique as a way for astronauts to exercise and maintain conditioning in space.[5] In 2012, NASA purchased the P200 model to use for pre-flight and post-flight training of International Space Station astronauts.[15] AlterG now holds a patent for this technology, which employs air pressure to adjust the users body weight on the treadmill between 20% and 100% of normal weight.[5][16] In 2013, AlterG was named by Fast Company as one of the top 10 most innovative companies in sports for its Anti-Gravity Treadmill.[17][18] The company's Anti-Gravity Treadmill M320 was cleared by the FDA for use in medical facilities, hospitals, physical therapy clinics, and skilled nursing facilities.[5] Like the other models, the M320 can reduce a users body weight of a user by up to 80%.[19] The company released the Anti-Gravity Treadmill F320 in 2013. This device is classified as a fitness product and does not meet some of the electrical interference requirements designated by some hospitals.

The P200 is used in professional athlete training and conditioning because of its higher top speed of 18 mph.[20]

Intention based therapy

Bob Horst developed the technology behind the Bionic Leg, which contains sensors and robotics that detect and provide force when a patient’s weight shifts.[21] The Bionic Leg is a battery-operated external brace that uses information from foot sensors to predict the user’s movements while the user walks, sits, and stands.[22]

In professional sports

The company's Anti-Gravity Treadmill is used by professional sports teams and university sports programs, including the Seattle Seahawks, Miami Heat, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Washington Wizards, Golden State Warriors, Oakland Raiders, New York Jets, Texas Rangers, Green Bay Packers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Lions, Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Buffalo Bills, Pittsburgh Steelers, Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia 76ers.[23][24] US Olympic Training Centers also use the Anti-Gravity Treadmill.[25][26] NBA players Kobe Bryant[27][28] and LeBron James,[23][29] as well as numerous other professional athletes including marathon record holder Paula Radcliffe,[30] use the Anti-Gravity Treadmill for physical therapy and training. Tom Brady, quarterback for the New England Patriots, purchased two of the Anti-Gravity Treadmills.[23]

In medicine

The company's products are used in medical centers and physical therapy clinics for various types of rehabilitation.[31] In the United States, the products are used by Johns Hopkins Medicine,[32] the Mayo Clinic,[33]University of San Francisco[34] and Stanford Medical Center.[35]

References

  1. 1 2 "AlterG Sweats the Details for Anti-Gravity Treadmill". San Francisco Business Times. Aug 23, 2013. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  2. 1 2 "Step Lightly: A Space-Age Treadmill That Reproduces Microgravity on Earth". Scientific American. Nov 10, 2010. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Defying Gravity With The Alter-G Treadmill". Competitor Magazine. Dec 2, 2011. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  4. ↑ "510(k) Premarket Notification". United States Food & Drug Association. 2008-01-25. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Anti-Gravity’ Treadmills Speed Rehabilitation". NASA Spinoff. 2009. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Company Overview of AlterG, Inc.". Businessweek. Aug 19, 2013. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Anti-Gravity Treadmills Improve Physical Therapy". Johns Hopkins. May 12, 2014. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Zero-Gravity Treadmill Maker AlterG Buys Robotic-Brace Maker Tibion". Dow Jones & Company, Inc. Aug 23, 2013. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Previous Manufacturers of the Week". National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). July 10, 2013. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  10. ↑ "US Patent Issued to AlterG on June 18 for "Differential Air Pressure Systems". HighBeam Research. June 18, 2013. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  11. ↑ "WIPO Assigns Patent to AlterG for Differential Air Pressure Systems". HighBeam Research. November 19, 2010. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  12. ↑ "Intention-Based Therapy Device and Method". United States Patent and Trademark Office. March 1, 2012. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  13. ↑ "Differential Air Pressure Systems". United States Patent and Trademark Office. May 26, 2011. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  14. ↑ "Foot Pad Device And Method Of Obtaining Weight Data". United States Patent and Trademark Office. Aug 19, 2010. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  15. ↑ "AlterG™ Anti-Gravity Treadmill Returns To NASA". World News. 2012. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  16. ↑ "Differential Air Pressure Systems". United States Patent and Trademark Office. May 29, 2014. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  17. ↑ "Most Innovative Companies 2013 - The World's Top 10 Most Innovative Companies In Sports". Fast Company. February 11, 2013. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  18. ↑ "AlterG Recognized by Fast Company as a Most Innovative Company". SNews. February 13, 2013. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  19. ↑ "Machines to help you take a load off". LA Times. April 5, 2010. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
  20. ↑ "P200 ANTI-GRAVITY TREADMILLS". SPS Fitness. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
  21. ↑ "AlterG Introduces Wearable Robotic Bionic Leg". AZO Robotics. August 20, 2013. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  22. ↑ "I Wore a Bionic Leg, And I Never Wanted To Take It Off Again". Gizmodo. July 10, 2013. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  23. 1 2 3 "Walking on the Moon". Jet Set Magazine. 2014. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  24. ↑ "AlterG in Sports". AlterG, Inc. Website. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  25. ↑ "Using An Anti-Gravity Treadmill As A Recovery Tool". Competitor Magazine. January 24, 2011. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  26. ↑ "Alter G treadmill reduces body weight to help users with rehab". Pittsburg Post-Gazette. July 23, 2012. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  27. ↑ "Watch: Kobe Bryant on an AlterG Treadmill". Runners World. August 20, 2013. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  28. ↑ "Kobe Bryant Running on Alter-G Treadmill". Laker Nation. Aug 19, 2013. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  29. ↑ "Lebron James Using AlterG". East Suburban Sports Medicine Center (ESSMC). Oct 17, 2013. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  30. ↑ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/fameandfortune/5246677/Paula-Radcliffe-Fame-and-Fortune.html
  31. ↑ "Run Like You're on the Moon". Gizmodo. May 23, 2012. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  32. ↑ "About Us" (PDF). Johns Hopkins Medicine. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
  33. ↑ "The AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill: New at ESSMC". ESSMC. Oct 17, 2013. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  34. ↑ "Antigravity Training Lifts UCSF Patients to New Heights of Health". UCSF. May 6, 2009. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  35. ↑ "Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Services". Stanford Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
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