Bionic prosthesis replaces a lost sense of touch hands

None other than fantastic! We suggest to familiarize with advanced development of the scientific community, a number of surgeons and engineers European research laboratories, which unveiled a prototype bionic prosthesis, who returned the sense of touch a man who lost his hand for nine years ago.

Continuing the theme of advanced medical technologies in the pages Lafhakera. Recently you could read about the robotic orthotic devices which can facilitate recovery of deferred foot and ankle injuries. In early February, academics, surgeons and engineers of several European research laboratories unveiled a prototype bionic prosthesis, who returned the sense of touch a man lost his arm nine years ago.

Dennis Aabo Sørensen seriously injured his left hand in the incident with fireworks, the limb had to be amputated. In 2013, the Dane was the first tester prototype bionic arm. Six months later, scientists from the Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna and the Swiss Institute of Italy Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne Polytechnic School published the results of the past research.

Pressure sensors orthopedic prosthesis via electrodes were connected to the left forearm of the test nerve bundles. Used electrodes themselves are a great achievement of German scientists. Any prosthesis touch generate an electrical signal that the human nervous system in the initial state is unable to interpret. Therefore, using a computer algorithm, the signal converted into a small momentum picked up by the nervous system.

For the purity of the experiment Dennis blindfolded and covered their ears. As a result, the patient was able to control the strength of grip and feel the shape and stiffness of the object. For example, he could recognize the difference between hard, medium and soft objects, as well as to determine the shape of a cylindrical bottle or a round ball.

The experiment lasted for a month, then, for safety reasons, the electrodes are disconnected from the nerve endings. Dennis himself was impressed with the capabilities bionic arm. Surgeons, engineers and scientists make careful conclusions and nourish hope for the continued application of their development. But for this to resolve a number of issues. First of all, the system should be fully implantable and autonomous. Secondly, it is necessary to ensure the durability of the materials and mechanisms.
It remains to take my hat off to the great hands and minds of today and hope for the rapid progress of their development.