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‘Mind control’ prosthetic allows for smooth movement
Jonny Lim for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online
Erik G. Sorto was paralyzed from the neck down due to a gunshot wound when he was 21. However, he has become the first person in the world to have a neural prosthetic device implanted in the part of the brain where intentions are made.
With clinical collaboration of Caltech, Keck Medicine of USC, and Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, Sorto has been able to move a robotic arm just by thinking and using his imagination. He has been able to perform handshakes, drink a beverage, and even play “rock, paper, scissors,” using this arm, according to the study.
In the past, neural prosthetic devices were implanted in the brain’s movement center, the motor cortex, which allowed patients with paralysis to control robotic limbs. However, the movements were jerky and not natural. Caltech researchers hoped to find a way to make the movement of neuroprosthetics smooth and humanlike.
Led by principal investigator Richard Andersen, neurosurgeon Charles Y. Lui, professor of neurological surgery, neurology, and biomedical engineering at USC, and neurologist Mindy Aisen, chief medical officer at Ranchos Los Amigos, the clinical trial attempted to connect the implant device in the part of the brain that controlled the intentions to move rather than the movement directly.
The surgery itself
The surgery took five hours, but with extreme precision and planning, they were able to successfully implant the device, therefore changing neuroprosthetics forever.
“Because it was the first time anyone had implanted this part of the human brain, everything about the surgery was different: the location, the positioning, and how you manage the hardware,” said Liu, “Keep in mind that what we’re able to do–the ability to record the brain’s signals and decode them to eventually move the robotic arm–is critically dependent on the functionality of these arrays, which is determined largely at the time of surgery.”
Sorto was able to move the prosthetic limb immediately on the first day of the test, sixteen days after his surgery.
“This research is relevant to the role of robotics and brain-machine interfaces as assistive devices, but also speaks to the ability of the brain to learn to function in new ways. We have created a unique environment that can seamlessly bring together rehabilitation, medicine, and science as exemplified in this study,” Aisen claimed.
Sorto has signed onto to work on the project for a third year and has decided to continue his education and pursue a master’s degree in social work. This project has been able to bring forth a better understanding of the posterior parietal cortex, therefore improving the future of neuroprosthetic devices.
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Source: http://www.redorbit.com/news/technology/1113396553/mind-control-prosthetic-allows-for-smooth-movement-052515/
