A paralyzed man successfully moved his hand and fingers using only his thoughts. The event was part of a research study that may revolutionize human-machine interaction. (via Battelle)
For the first time in history, a quadriplegic successfully moved his fingers and hand with his own thoughts. The phenomenon was part of a study conducted by researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and Battelle Memorial Institute. The technology has been 10 years in the making.
Ian Burkhart became a quadriplegic four years ago after a diving accident. The 23-year-old from Dublin, Ohio, has tried to continue working hard and making the best of his situation, and decided to be the first participant to receive Battelle’s NeuroLife
implant.
The NueroLife implant is an electronic neural bypass that receives electrical signals from the brain, and bypasses the central nervous system by sending those signals directly to muscles in the body to create motor function. With paraplegic patients, often limbs are fine anatomically, but lack the signal from the brain to create movement. The new implant technology hopes to artificially create that, restoring movement to paraplegics in the near future.
Burkhart underwent a three-hour procedure to receive the implant. It was placed onto his motor cortex, in the same area of the brain that controls the movement of the hands and fingers. The sensor, which is the size of a pea, transmits signals from the brain to a connected computer, which sends commands to the patient’s arm, causing it to move. This entire process happens within a tenth of a second.
Burkhart was also given a neurostimulation sleeve that stimulates specific muscles in the arm responsible for movement. This was done to help strengthen atrophied muscles in his arms, to increase his body’s response during the six-month, FDA-approved study.
Battelle scientists have worked on the technology to support this study for nearly 10 years. The project, including software development, research, and product design, was done in-house and internally-funded until the researchers partnered with Ohio State during clinical trials.
The research study was a huge success for Battelle and Ohio State researchers. It shows promise for revolutionizing the way humans interact with machines and computers, but it also gives hope to those with paralysis.
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