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A high tech prosthetic hand allows users to experience the touch. Credit: University of Utah.
An electrical accident, 17 years ago, claimed the hand of Keven Walgamott. Researchers at the University of Utah have equipped humans with an innovative prosthetic arm whose fingers move not only with their thoughts but are also able to transmit sensations. Essentially, it's a prosthetic hand that feels. It's so sensitive that Walgamott could hold an egg between his fingers without breaking it by squeezing it too hard.
The prosthetic hand that feels
The technology was developed by a team led by Gregory Clark, an badociate professor in biomedical engineering. The backbone of the prototype is the USEA (Utah Electrode Electrode Array), an interface between the prosthetic hand and the last sensory and motor nerves of the patient in the arms.
USEA includes hundreds of electrodes implanted surgically next to the nerve fibers. The electrodes capture the "chatter" of nearby nerve fibers, forming a connection between the prosthesis and the nervous system.
The prosthesis – called "LUKE" after the prosthesis Luke Skywalker wore Star wars – was equipped for Walgamott in 2017. Since then, he has been training closely with researchers at the University of Utah to perform extremely delicate tasks otherwise impossible with metal hooks or prosthetics in claw.
"It almost made me cry," said Walgamott. "It was really amazing. I never thought that I would be able to feel that hand again. "
Scientists have been working on the LUKE arm for over 15 years. It mainly consists of motors and metal parts controlling articulated fingers, as well as an external battery connected to a computer. The sensors cover the hand that sends signals to the nerves via the microelectrode array, imitating the feeling you feel in your hand when you grab something.
Star Wars-inspired
A major breakthrough in LUKE's touch development has been to understand and recreate the way the brain interprets the first touch something.
"Providing a sensation is a big problem, but the way you send this information is also of paramount importance, if you make it more biologically realistic, the brain will understand it better and the performance of that feeling will be better as well." Clark said. .
Although the quality of touch that Walgamott feels with his new prosthesis is not as sensitive as that of a real hand, it's still a huge step forward. Thanks to this, Walgamott can distinguish between touching something sweet or hard, the kind of sensitivity that allows him to live a fuller life. For example, researchers say that the man is now able to perform complex movements such as picking grapes or padding a pillow.
For Walgamott, these training sessions were incredibly emotional.
"One of the first things that he wanted to do was to put his wedding ring. It's hard to do with one hand, "says Clark. "It was very moving."
Then Clark and his colleagues plan to improve the design of the prosthesis to make it a mobile version. At the present time, it can only be used in the laboratory, where it must be plugged with all kinds of bulky machines.
Clark hopes that in 2020 or 2021, three participants will be able to take their weapons home with the approval of the FDA.
However, it will take years before such devices are commercially available. Nevertheless, it is incredibly inspiring to see technology serving people.
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