3 minute read
Meet Tom Taverner R’06 – The bionic man Mary Lou Burge
from The Blue Paper 2021
by Worth School
Meet the Bionic Man - Tom Priestley Taverner R’07
Tom, who was known as ‘Priest’ or TP’, arrived at Worth in 2000 and spent seven happy years there. A local lad from Brighton, he was “blessed” with his year, many of whom he is still in regular contact with, a cohort of sporty Worthians including the likes of Team GB Rugby 7s captain, Tom Mitchell F’07. The strong learning support he received whilst at Worth helped Tom overcome a childhood struggle with severe dyslexia and to build a career in the sciences which some at the time might have thought impossible. As he recalls, “despite being interested in the subject, I struggled with science. Being dyslexic might have been seen as a barrier but in my case it gave me the ability to visualise things in a 3D way which became a real benefit”.
In pursuit of a practical career Tom headed to Sheffield Hallam University to study Physiotherapy. From there he spent four years at the Royal Free Hospital where he practised his skills in neurological physiotherapy. This provided an invaluable insight into the NHS and medical profession for the next stage in Tom's career with Rex Bionics. Rex had developed the first hands-free robotassisted physiotherapy device, RAPPER II, which enabled patients to move from sitting into a robot-supported standing position, and to walk and stretch unaided. Tom managed subsequent clinical trials and training on the use of the device.
With this unique and valuable knowledge under his belt, in 2018 Tom joined the award-winning Spanish company, Marsi Bionics, as Clinical Director. Founded in 2013 as a spin-off from the Centro de Automática y Robótica, a joint
ATLAS, the world’s first paediatric exoskeleton
centre of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and the Spanish National Research Council, Marsi has made a high impact on the development of disruptive technologies for the health sector. It was a perfect point for Tom to get involved whilst the devices were still in development, allowing him to have an input into their design, and to plan and oversee clinical trials. As he explains, his role was, “to see what problem a device could solve and develop a trial to support it”.
Marsi's main activity is focused on the development of lower limb exoskeletons as medical devices, having built the world's first paediatric exoskeleton, ATLAS. The device
has active joints with variable stiffness that mimic natural muscle function and interprets the patient’s intention to move, responding at every step. It can be fitted in 5 minutes and allows the patient to feel they are walking on their own whilst the therapist can interact with them face-to-face, without the need to hold them. This is revolutionary technology for children suffering from diseases such as cerebral palsy, improving their quality of life by allowing them to walk with safety, control and stability on any surface.
Another Marsi product is the first robotic knee orthosis, MAK AKTIVE KNEE, which is fitted to provide the strength, mobility and stability necessary to be able to walk. Sensors provide biomechanical analysis of the patient’s gait and work to improve it. There is little doubt that such devices indicate the future for rehabilitation following strokes and for those with MS and muscular atrophies.
Despite the company being based in Madrid, Tom opted to make a home in Ibiza and work from there, which has given him and his partner a wonderful work/life balance, particularly during the pandemic.
It is an exciting future for Marsi and for Tom as his role is expanding to develop the use of their products commercially in hospitals and specialised therapy centres in the UK and across Europe. The next stage of product development will be to increase or decrease the modulation of the devices as a patient’s disease progresses or improves.
The potential is huge when you consider there are 40 million patients worldwide affected by a wide range of pathologies that could be helped by this type of technology. We watch with interest how things develop.
MAK AKTIVE KNEE
