And with just a little bit more research it should be easily able to be adapted to send signals to stop the spastic muscles and fire the correct ones in sequence. But don't expect any of our ineffective stroke organizations to take on that challenge. That would require brains, innovation and hard work.
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/09/25/5768318/worlds-first-thought-controlled.html
The science of bionics helped the more than 1 million Americans1 with leg amputations take a giant step forward, as the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) revealed clinical applications for the world's first thought-controlled bionic leg in this week's New England Journal of Medicine.
This innovative technology represents a significant milestone in the
rapidly-growing field of bionics. Until now, only thought-controlled
bionic arms were available to amputees.
To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click: http://www.multivu.com/mnr/63339-rehabilitation-institute-of-chicago-first-thought-controlled-bionic-leg
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130925/MM85148)
Levi Hargrove, PhD, the lead scientist of this research at RIC's
Center for Bionic Medicine, developed a system to use neural signals to
safely improve limb control of a bionic leg.
"This new bionic leg
features incredibly intelligent engineering," said Hargrove. "It learns
and performs activities unprecedented for any leg amputee, including
seamless transitions between sitting, walking, ascending and descending
stairs and ramps and repositioning the leg while seated."
This
method improves upon prosthetic legs that only use robotic sensors and
remote controls and do not allow for intuitive thought control of the
prosthetic.
The case study focuses on RIC research subject Zac
Vawter, a lower-limb amputee who underwent targeted muscle reinnervation
surgery – a procedure developed at RIC and Northwestern University
– in 2009 to redirect nerves from damaged muscle in his amputated limb
to healthy hamstring muscle above his knee. When the redirected nerves
instruct the muscles to contract, sensors on the patient's leg detect
tiny electrical signals from the muscles. A specially-designed computer program
analyzes these signals and data from sensors in the robotic leg. It
instantaneously decodes the type of movement the patient is trying to
perform and then sends those commands to the robotic leg. Using muscle
signals, instead of robotic sensors, makes the system safer and more
intuitive.
"The bionic leg is a big improvement compared to my
regular prosthetic leg," stated Vawter. "The bionic leg responds quickly
and more appropriately, allowing me to interact with my environment in a
way that is similar to how I moved before my amputation. For the first
time since my injury, the bionic leg allows me to seamlessly walk up and
down stairs and even reposition the prosthetic by thinking about the
movement I want to perform. This is a huge milestone for me and for all
leg amputees."
Army Funding More than 1,200 leg amputees in the United States are recently injured servicemen and women.2
The
US Army's Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC)
funded the RIC study with an $8 million grant to improve the control of
advanced robotic leg prostheses by adding neural information to the control system.
Due to this unusually large TATRC grant for the rehabilitation field
and a multi-disciplinary team, RIC was able to accomplish these
breakthrough innovations in only four years.
"We are pleased to
partner with the RIC Center for Bionic Medicine in the development of
user intent controlled bionic limbs," said Col. John Scherer, director
of the Clinical and Rehabilitative Medicine Program at the U.S. Army
Medical Research and Materiel Command. "We appreciate the opportunity
to sponsor this life-changing effort to provide military amputees with
as much physical functionality as possible, as soon as possible."
This
partnership aims to make these bionic legs available for in-home
testing for both the military and civilian populations within the next
five years.
About The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago The
Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) is the nation's leading
provider of comprehensive physical medicine and rehabilitation care to
patients from around the world. Ranked No. 1 by both U.S. News and World Report and the U.S. National Institutes of Health, RIC holds an unparalleled market distinction.
With a record six multi-year, multi-million dollar federal research designations awarded and funded by the National Institutes of Health
and the Department of Education's National Institute of Disability and
Rehabilitation Research in the areas of spinal cord injury, brain injury,
stroke, neurological rehabilitation, outcomes research, bionic
medicine/rehabilitation engineering research, and pediatric orthopedics,
RIC operates the largest rehabilitation research enterprise in the
world. RIC also operates its 182-bed, flagship hospital in downtown
Chicago, as well as a network of more than 40 sites of care distributed
throughout the Midwest, through which it delivers inpatient, day
rehabilitation, and outpatient services.
The Center for Bionic
Medicine at RIC is one of the world's largest prosthetics and orthotic
research centers; it focuses on developing bionic legs, bionic arms, and
other innovative rehabilitation technologies.
Founded in 1954, RIC has been designated the "No. 1 Rehabilitation Hospital in America" by U.S. News & World Report every
year since 1991. RIC sets the standard of care in the post-acute market
through its innovative applied research and discovery programs,
particularly in the areas of neuroscience, bionic medicine,
musculoskeletal medicine and technology transfer. For more information,
go to www.ric.org.
About the Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center The
Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC) explores,
innovates and manages medical technologies that advance military
medicine. TATRC serves as the primary execution manager for Defense
Health Programs research while exploring science and engineering
technologies leveraging other programs to maximize benefits to military
health care.
TATRC's vision is to be the Department of Defense
(DoD) model for enablement of transformational medical research. TATRC
is the science and technology scout for military medicine and the center
of gravity for Army telemedicine initiatives. TATRC initiates,
sponsors, promotes, and oversees programs and partnerships in medical
science and engineering that support military medical programs. With the
strategic application of funding from small business innovation
research/small business technology transfer, Army Medical Department
advanced medical technology initiatives, and other sources, TATRC
accelerates the implementation of novel science and engineering
technology applications through validation studies, translational
research, and demonstration projects. As a result, TATRC is a network of
experts and capabilities positioned to rapidly address urgent DoD
needs. For more information about TATRC, please visit: www.tatrc.org
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