The Tetraplegiac Neuroprosthetic By Robert Valenti
What is Tetraplegia?
• Also known as quadriplegia
• Paralysis caused by illness or injury
• Partial or total loss of all one’s limbs and torso
• Loss of sensation and control of limbs
The Neuroprosthetic Arm
• Seven degrees of freedom
• Has three dimensional translation, three-dimensional orientation, and one dimensional grasping
• Reinstates command signals for hand placement
• Increases quality of life
Installation
• Surgery
• Two 96-channel intracortical microelectrode implants, called the “Braingate”.
• Motor cortex
Results So Far
• Arm movement with only two days of training
• Advanced movements after 13 weeks of training
• Massive increases to quality of life
•Ineffective with subjects who have viable limbs
• Possible availability within 5 to ten years
• Feedback so a person can interpret sensations, like the pressure of a grip
• The world of brain-to-computer interface will explode
What the Future Holds
References
•http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2812%2961816-9/fulltext The Lancet, Volume 381, issue 9866
•http://news.cnet.com/8301-27083_3-57559675-247/brain-implants-let-paralyzed-woman-move-robot-arm/
•http://news.cnet.com/8301-11386_3-57436475-76/paralyzed-woman-moves-robotic-arm-using-thought-alone/