New Microelectrodes May Help Amputees and Paralyzed
A new University of Utah study conducted at their Brain Institute, has developed an experimental device, called microECoG, that allows the reading of brain signals without poking it with tiny electrodes. The study has shown that using an array of electrodes placed on the outside of the brain is accurate enough to pick up the signals that command arm movements. This raises hopes that new devices can be created such as bionic arms for amputees or thought controlled computers for paralyzed people.
For people who have lost a limb or who are paralyzed such devices "should allow for a high level of control over a prosthetic limb or computer interface" said Bradley Greger, an assistant professor of bioengineering and coauthor of the study. "It will enable amputees or people with severe paralysis to interact with their environment using a prosthetic arm or a computer interface that decodes signals from the brain."
The microECoG consists of two arrays of 16 microelectrodes about 2 millimeters apart. Each array is embedded into a small mat of clear, rubbery silicone. The microelectrodes actually sit on top of the brain without actually penetrating it. This device is the next closest step towards creating less invasive version of "neural interfaces" that would allow, for example, paralyzed people to control a mouse cursor or move a robotic limb - with their thoughts alone.
Although their findings are consider only to be "a modest step" toward the use thought conversion in controlling devices and computers, previous tracking methods involved inserting wires into a patient's brain tissue. This is a potentially risky maneuver because, although thin, the probes are still capable of damaging nerve cells during insertion. But the new method involves placing a bundle of microelectrodes wires (each wire is about 40 microns wide) spread over a section on the surface of the brain. The main drawback, of course, is the need to implant the array surgically. The newer electrodes will also last longer, thus extending the time before the patient is required to go through another surgery to implant a new array.
Researchers admit that it would still be a few years before they would have a dedicated system. Additional work is needed in refining the computer software that interprets the brain signals so they can be converted into movements like moving the arm. "We were trying to understand how to get the most information out of the brain," says Greger.
For people who have lost a limb or who are paralyzed such devices "should allow for a high level of control over a prosthetic limb or computer interface" said Bradley Greger, an assistant professor of bioengineering and coauthor of the study. "It will enable amputees or people with severe paralysis to interact with their environment using a prosthetic arm or a computer interface that decodes signals from the brain."
The microECoG consists of two arrays of 16 microelectrodes about 2 millimeters apart. Each array is embedded into a small mat of clear, rubbery silicone. The microelectrodes actually sit on top of the brain without actually penetrating it. This device is the next closest step towards creating less invasive version of "neural interfaces" that would allow, for example, paralyzed people to control a mouse cursor or move a robotic limb - with their thoughts alone.
Although their findings are consider only to be "a modest step" toward the use thought conversion in controlling devices and computers, previous tracking methods involved inserting wires into a patient's brain tissue. This is a potentially risky maneuver because, although thin, the probes are still capable of damaging nerve cells during insertion. But the new method involves placing a bundle of microelectrodes wires (each wire is about 40 microns wide) spread over a section on the surface of the brain. The main drawback, of course, is the need to implant the array surgically. The newer electrodes will also last longer, thus extending the time before the patient is required to go through another surgery to implant a new array.
Researchers admit that it would still be a few years before they would have a dedicated system. Additional work is needed in refining the computer software that interprets the brain signals so they can be converted into movements like moving the arm. "We were trying to understand how to get the most information out of the brain," says Greger.
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