A new pacemaker-like device -- designed by Canadian researchers -- may help stroke victims regain the use of a partially-paralyzed foot.

Many patients who suffer a stroke or are diagnosed with a neurological disorder develop a condition known as "foot drop," whereby they have a weakness in the ankles and toes that makes it extremely difficult to walk comfortably.

"Foot drop is a significant problem for people with brain injury, stroke, spinal cord injury or nerve damage," Dr. Mark Bayley of the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute told CTV News. "And on a daily basis they face difficulties with walking, with falls, with tripping."

Until now, patients with foot drop were often treated with a leg brace that sends electrical signals down the leg to stimulate movement.

But Professor Andy Hoffer of Simon Fraser University in B.C. has developed a pacemaker, called Neurostep, that is implanted into the thigh, to stimulate muscles inside the leg.

When the patient's heel touches the ground, wires send signals to the Neurostep, which in turn causes muscles at the front of the foot to contract. This helps lift the toes off the ground.

One patient in Hoffer's study who needed assistance from others to walk was moving with just the aid of a cane after 10 weeks.

"It builds up muscle strength again and so the person actually becomes more steady," Hoffer told CTV News.

Quebec firm Victhom Human Bionics has acquired the rights to market the Neurostep in Europe later this year, but the device has not yet been approved for use in Canada. The estimated cost is about $15,000.

The implanted device intrigues doctors because it could replace a piece of equipment that must be put on and removed every day.

"This might be a permanent solution that people can have," Bayley said.

With a report from CTV News medical correspondent Avis Favaro and producer Elizabeth St. Philip