BALTIMORE — MedStar Health recently unveiled a new biomechanics research facility called the Innovation in Motion Laboratory (IMO Lab).
IMO Lab uses advanced technology to track a person's movement. Doctors believe this technology will improve patient care.
WMAR-2 News was able to get a tour of IMO Lab.
One of the things the lab has to offer is the Gait Real Time Interactive Lab.
A volunteer demonstrated how the lab works.
The volunteer was wearing small reflective markers and as he walking on the treadmill his movements were being captured by an infrared camera.
The goal of the exercise was for him to hit certain targets with his feet.
"Depending on how good he's doing it, how fast, how precise he is hitting the target, we collect some points. And by the end of the exercise, we get a total score," said Dr. Dario Martelli, MedStar Health's senior research scientist for orthopedics and sports medicine research.
The Gait Real Time Interactive Lab is just one of the ground breaking pieces of technology at IMO Lab.
This fun and engaging exercise allows doctors to better understand how a patient moves.
"IMO Lab serves as a laboratory where individuals can actively participate following a reconstructive procedure that we have investigated on a smaller level," said Dr. Bryan Cunningham, the director of scientific orthopedic research at Union Memorial Hospital.
The 2,700 square foot site combines, engineering, kinesiology and medicine.
Dr. Cunningham says IMO Lab uses technology that will ultimately improve patient care.
"We can evaluate a patient preoperatively or pre-management to see what type of gate patterns are altered in this, and then we can effectively reconstruct the spine or reconstruct the knee, via surgery or PT," said Dr. Cunningham.
MedStar Health officials believe in just a matter of weeks, patients will be able to use the lab.
