Two teams of researchers from universities in Sweden and the United States have made progress in the development of bionic prostheses for amputees. The goal of both groups is to provide these prostheses intuitive control, freedom of movement and sense similar to those of natural limbs touch. The results of both studies are published in the latest issue of the magazine Science Translational Medicine .
One of these developments has been a prototype bionic hand that manages to get the sensation of touch . The research has been led by Catalan Max Ortiz, a Mexican researcher working in the group of Biomedical Signals and Systems Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg (Sweden).
Ortiz and his team have managed to Magnus, a patient with the arm above the elbow amputee, to return you to your job as a truck driver and other daily with this prosthesis osseointegration created by Rickard Brånemark, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, and one of the authors of the study activities.
Sync explains to Max Ortiz Catalan, “the patient is now full range of motion, the prosthesis works in any kind of weather, violent maneuvers can do without the artificial arm to inadvertent operation and there is no component to put pressure on the skin. something that was not possible with conventional denture technology ” .
All kinds of tasks
The scientist also noted that “after surgery, the patient was able to perform all sorts of tasks, from driving his truck to take eggs or tie the skates of their children. Going beyond the laboratory to allow the patient to meet the challenges of the real world is the greatest contribution of this work, “he says.
The artificial arm is connected directly with the skeleton for stability. The biological control system of the human being, composed of muscles and nerves, interacts with the machine using neuromuscular electrodes. “This creates an intimate connection between the body and the machine,” he adds.
Catalan Ortiz, the probability that osseointegration occurs rejection is very low. “The biocompatibility of the materials we used are high and have been used for years in different applications in humans, so the possibility of rejection is the same as that of dental implants.”
The researcher sees in this technology an important step towards a more natural control of prosthetic limbs. “It’s not science fiction, it is a very tangible to the patient actually, and will be for people to try from the end of the year.”
Bionic Hand Touch
The other work that has appeared in Science Translational Medicine, has conducted a group of Case Western Reserve University (Ohio, USA) that has managed to recover the sensation of touch on two amputees patients through the implementation of prototype bionic hands.
One of the biggest achievements of development has been to get the tactile feel is maintained during the two decade-long research. This has been made possible by connecting the electrodes bionic hand with the arm and brain.
The function of these electrodes is to detect the pressure in order to contact with the prosthesis. This information is sent to the brain converted into electrical impulses, thanks to algorithms designed by researchers and also allow the location of objects.
Scientists say that one of the patients, Igor Spetic, cotton always had caused chills. After touching a ball blind of this material with the prosthesis as he noticed the hairs. “I knew immediately it was cotton,” says Spetic.
Meanwhile, Keith Vonderhuevel, another patient in the study was able to remove the stems of grapes and cherries holding blind. “Our goal is not only to restore functionality, but to build a reconnection with the world,” says Dustin tyker, professor of biomedical American college and lead author.
Lifetime
In addition, both patients had phantom pain in an amputated area from limb loss. Spetic defined this feeling “like a screw through clenched fist.”
The authors note that this pain was gone almost completely recovered patients the sensation of touch.
Due to continuous improvement of their patients and prolonging the effects of the prosthesis over time, researchers are hopeful that the method can be used for life and implemented on a large scale within five years.
“This technology could also be used in prosthetic legs that recognize different soil types and adapt to uneven surfaces” indicate.
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