Dechang Medical Technologies Files IPO Prospectus: Pioneering Gait Rehabilitation Solutions with EU Market Presence

Walking is the most fundamental human function, yet disorders of the nervous system, muscles, and joints can all lead to gait impairments in patients. Walking ability is directly linked to a patient’s capacity for independent living and their quality of life. Therefore, the assessment and restoration of walking function are indispensable components of rehabilitation therapy.

Developed by Jiangsu Dechang Medical Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Dechang Medical")Wearable Foot Drop Rehabilitation Device, Full-Body Real-Time 3D Gait and Motion Analysis SystemThe primary goal is to assess and restore patients’ walking function. Currently, these products have been widely adopted in departments of rehabilitation medicine, neurology, orthopedics, and sports medicine, as well as within organizations for persons with disabilities and civil affairs systems, benefiting a large number of patients.

Mr. Charles Wu, Founder, Chairman, and General Manager of Dechang Medical, studied sequentially in the Medical Engineering program at Shanghai Medical University (now Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University), the Biomedical Instrumentation and Engineering program at Zhejiang University, and the Computer Science program at the University of Massachusetts. He currently serves as a Visiting Professor at the School of Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation of Beijing Sport University and is a member of the Expert Pool of the Chinese Association of Rehabilitation Medicine. His interdisciplinary knowledge spanning medicine, engineering, and computer science has laid a solid professional foundation for leading the company’s product development.

Wu Changwang has worked for over a decade at high-tech medical device companies in the United States, including industry leaders such as Johnson & Johnson and ZOLL, serving as a Senior Engineer and Technical Manager. Although his prior professional experience was not directly related to the rehabilitation sector, his research into the rehabilitation markets in both China and the United States led him to recognize the immense potential of rehabilitation in China. Twelve years ago, Wu Changwang laid the groundwork in Boston, USA, for what would become Dechang Medical—originally established as Xin’an Medical—focusing on the development and promotion of high-tech neurological rehabilitation equipment.

Wu Changwang stated, “My more than ten years of experience in high-tech medical device R&D in the United States instilled in me a habit of balancing innovation with risk management, while allowing clinical needs to guide product development and technical services. These principles have been integral throughout my entrepreneurial journey.” Restoring walking ability is a critical need for patients with central nervous system injuries, such as those resulting from stroke, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, and cerebral palsy. Therefore, Wu Changwang of Dechang Rehabilitation has focused his research efforts on the development of walking rehabilitation devices and technologies.

New Shore Medical spent several years in the United States developing its first product—the wearable foot drop rehabilitation device (intelligent ambulation aid). In November 2010, New Shore Medical was introduced to China by the Changshu Science and Technology Innovation Park and established a joint venture with Shenzhen Edan Instruments, Inc., named Dechang Medical. This marked the commencement of industrial production of the wearable foot drop rehabilitation device in China. The project received support from the National Ministry of Science and Technology’s Innovation Fund for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, as well as awards from governmental authorities at the Jiangsu Provincial, Suzhou Municipal, and Changshu City levels. In 2013, Dechang Medical collaborated closely with the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at Huashan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University in Shanghai. Guided by the theory of integrated upper- and lower-limb rehabilitation, they began developing a wearable sensor-based system for three-dimensional gait and motion analysis of the entire body. Two years later, the system obtained software copyright registration and was successfully launched into the market.

In the 1960s, American physician Liberson successfully corrected foot drop in a patient with central nervous system injury using functional electrical stimulation (FES). Since then, the role of FES in motor function recovery has garnered significant attention from rehabilitation medicine professionals.

Studies have shown that functional electrical stimulation (FES) therapy can effectively inhibit flexor spasticity in the upper limbs (basket-hand posture) and extensor spasticity in the lower limbs (foot drop), promote limb circulation, and prevent disuse muscle atrophy. It helps restore neurological function by providing impulse input to the central nervous system. Dr. Liberson’s dynamic FES device delivers electrical stimulation to correct foot drop during the swing phase of gait and ceases stimulation when the foot contacts the ground. This wearable device assists with daily ambulation, thereby improving patients’ quality of life.

Wu Changwang stated, “The use of functional electrical stimulation therapy has significantly improved the rehabilitation outcomes of hemiplegic limbs in stroke patients, a fact that has been extensively and thoroughly demonstrated by clinical research.”

Dechang Medical’s functional electrical stimulation (FES) product portfolio includes not only wearable, portable foot drop rehabilitation devices, but also exoskeleton-linked FES workstations.

Wearable Foot Drop Rehabilitation Device utilizes the principle of functional electrical stimulation to simulate central nervous system control over target nerves and muscles during walking, assisting patients in performing gait movements such as knee flexion, foot lift, arm swing for stepping, and foot strike. It is suitable for rehabilitation training for patients with hemiplegic foot drop caused by stroke, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, encephalitis, multiple sclerosis, and other central nervous system injuries.

Dechang Medical’s wearable foot drop rehabilitation device obtained its first Class II medical device registration certificate from the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) in 2012. In 2013, it secured CFDA registration certificates for three additional models, achieving knee-ankle coordinated assisted walking functionality under functional electrical stimulation (FES). In 2018, its new FES product, featuring mobile connectivity and workstation capabilities, received CFDA registration.

The Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) Workstation comprises a programming station and multiple intelligent stimulators. It connects individual wearable foot-drop rehabilitation devices to coordinate complex and precise movements, thereby enabling endoskeletal robotic therapy. The stimulators synchronize wirelessly without any cable connections, facilitating group therapy for multiple patients or multi-site treatment for a single patient, thus alleviating staffing shortages in rehabilitation centers and hospitals.

For rehabilitation therapy, rehabilitation assessment is an essential component. Rehabilitation assessments are categorized into functional evaluations of motor or sensory functions, hand or gait functions, and psychological or language functions. Among these, the three-dimensional gait and motion analysis system is one of the commonly used devices for assessing gait function.

Studies have found that observing trends in an individual’s gait changes can also predict their health status, including the potential risk of brain and heart diseases. Qualitative gait and motion analysis relies on medical personnel visually observing patients’ walking processes to derive general assessments, which cannot accurately quantify patients’ gait function. In recent years, three-dimensional gait and motion analysis systems have gained increasing favor among medical professionals in China.

Wu Changwang noted that traditional 3D gait and motion analysis systems are expensive, require specialized venues and dedicated gait laboratories for motion analysis, and occupy a large footprint. The whole-body 3D gait and motion analysis system developed by Dechang Medical is a wearable sensor-based device for full-body motion capture and gait analysis. It enables gait assessment tests to be conducted in ordinary rooms and corridors, reducing evaluation time from 1–2 hours to under 10 minutes, without the need for professional modeling or post-processing.

Dechang Medical’s 3D Gait and Motion Analysis System integrates measurement, assessment, and database management capabilities. It detects and analyzes the movement characteristics of whole-body joints during patient ambulation, evaluates the presence and severity of gait abnormalities, and provides evidence for clinical diagnosis. This product can also be used to assess the effectiveness of rehabilitation therapies and assistive devices.

“Dechang Medical has adopted an asset-light business model, grounded in R&D and product innovation, with a strong emphasis on product marketing and services.” Wu Changwang stated, “Dechang Medical has dedicated many years to functional electrical stimulation (FES) technology and novel 3D gait motion analysis technology, gradually carving out an asset-light development path suited to its own strengths.”

Since 2013, Dechang Medical has been recognized as a National High-Tech Enterprise, holding five nationally granted invention patents and nearly 30 utility model patents. The company’s products have been sold to more than 20 provinces and municipalities in China, obtained CE certification, and entered the market in several European Union countries. Currently, the company has launched a new round of equity financing.

Rehabilitation therapy is relatively mature abroad, while China started later. However, driven by policy support, population aging, and growing public awareness, the domestic rehabilitation therapy market is surging toward a valuation of hundreds of billions of yuan. Wu Changwang stated, “Moving forward, the company will continue to innovate and develop new products for neurological rehabilitation treatment and assessment, all while ensuring product quality, thereby providing stronger momentum for the company’s growth.”