Spasticity Management: The New Exopulse Mollii Suit

Reduces spasticity, relieves pain, improves mobility: The Exopulse Mollii Suit is the world's first neuromodulation suit that enables people with neurological conditions to enjoy a more active daily lifestyle. Daniel Hublitz knows how the suit works and who can benefit from it. He is in direct communication with the users of the suit and knows about the demands and requirements the new assistive medical device must meet.

Mr. Hublitz, could you tell us who can benefit from wearing the Exopulse Mollii Suit?

Daniel Hublitz: People with spasticity related to neurological disease benefit from this innovative suit. This includes disease patterns associated with multiple sclerosis, stroke, cerebral palsy, or spinal cord injury where we have seen the greatest effectiveness so far.

It is awe-inspiring to see how the Exopulse Mollii Suit helps users with these conditions. It makes small parts of daily routine, such as drinking a cup of coffee, tying shoelaces, or climbing stairs without help possible again.

The suit's mechanism is based on so-called low-energy whole body transcutaneous electrical stimulation. Simply put, the suit includes 58 imbedded electrodes that send electrical signals to stimulate the muscles to relax. This can reduce spasticity and chronic pain and activate weak muscle groups – and you only need to wear the suit one hour every day.

What advantages does the device have over other technologies for relaxing spastic muscles?

Hublitz: The Exopulse Mollii Suit is one-of-a-kind and there is no other, comparable product on the market. The electrodes are embedded throughout the suit and stimulate 40 key muscle groups in the body. Trained experts in medical equipment stores program the stimulation sequence based on the user's specific needs. The personal assistive medical device comes in various sizes, making it also suitable for children: the smallest sized suit available fits a child of 104 cm in height.

What feedback are you getting from early users?

Hublitz: Our users have provided some phenomenal feedback. The impacts of the device usage vary drastically and depend on personal indications and pain levels.

Louisa is a great example of this. She was diagnosed with MS when she was just 12 years old and ended up being confined to a wheelchair by age 25. But thanks to the Exopulse Mollii Suit, Louisa can now walk again and live an active life. That's why she calls it her "superhero suit". [Click here to learn about Louisa's story in this video.]

Sometimes it's the little things that matter the most in everyday life and that change because of the suit: the device can foster better sleep and digestion, improved sitting or holding a pen. Parents have told me that their child experiences reduced spasticity thanks to the full-body neuromodulation suit. Getting dressed to go to the daycare center in the morning used to take up to an hour and now only takes a few minutes.

Interested visitors can get a first-hand look at the suit at REHACARE 2022. What else can they expect to see from you at the trade show?

Hublitz: Users of the Exopulse Mollii Suit will join us at the Ottobock booth in Hall 6 during the trade fair to talk about their experience with the device and answer questions. We will also be happy to assist visitors who are interested in care and support options at our booth and refer them to certified medical supply and equipment stores for further testing.

At REHACARE, we will also showcase our new, holistic NeuroMobility treatment approach for patients with neurological indications. This concept often involves a combination of assistive technologies, which includes our wheelchair portfolio, functional electrical stimulation devices, the C-Brace computer-controlled orthotronic mobility system and – of course – the Exopulse Mollii Suit. Our booth will be host to exciting, daily presentations of our showcased products featuring users and experts.