• Popular
    • Medicine
    • Radiology
    • Cardiology
    • Surgery
    • Nanomedicine
    • Military Medicine
    • Rehab
  • Categories
    • Exclusive
    • A-D
      • Anesthesiology
      • Art
      • Cardiac Surgery
      • Cardiology
      • Critical Care
      • Dentistry
      • Dermatology
      • Diagnostics
    • E-I
      • Emergency Medicine
      • ENT
      • Genetics
      • Geriatrics
      • GI
      • Informatics
    • M-N
      • Medicine
      • Military Medicine
      • Nanomedicine
      • Net News
      • Neurology
      • Neurosurgery
      • Nuclear Medicine
    • O-P
      • Ob/Gyn
      • Oncology
      • Ophthalmology
      • Orthopedic Surgery
      • Pathology
      • Pediatrics
      • Plastic Surgery
      • Psychiatry
      • Public Health
    • R-V
      • Radiation Oncology
      • Radiology
      • Rehab
      • Reproductive Medicine
      • Space Medicine
      • Sports Medicine
      • Surgery
      • Thoracic Surgery
      • Urology
      • Vascular Surgery
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • Submit PR
  • About
  • Follow
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Linkedin
    • Youtube
    • Instagram
    • RSS
  • Submit PR
  • Log in
Medgadget
Medgadget
  • Popular
    • Medicine
      Implantable Bioreactor for Kidney Cells

      Implantable Bioreactor for Kidney Cells

      Etched Nanopillars Kill Bacteria, Fungi on Titanium Implants

      Etched Nanopillars Kill Bacteria, Fungi on Titanium Implants

      Cells Release Insulin in Response to Music

      Cells Release Insulin in Response to Music

      Microneedle Skin Patch Measures Cancer Biomarkers

      Microneedle Skin Patch Measures Cancer Biomarkers

    • Radiology
      Ultrasound-Equipped Bra Monitors for Breast Cancer

      Ultrasound-Equipped Bra Monitors for Breast Cancer

      Portable and Radiation-Free Imaging with Magnetic Nanoparticles

      Portable and Radiation-Free Imaging with Magnetic Nanoparticles

      Imaging Technique Reveals Living Brain Tissue in its Complexity

      Imaging Technique Reveals Living Brain Tissue in its Complexity

      Wearable Ultrasound for Deep Tissue Monitoring

      Wearable Ultrasound for Deep Tissue Monitoring

    • Cardiology
      Ultrasound-Equipped Bra Monitors for Breast Cancer

      Ultrasound-Equipped Bra Monitors for Breast Cancer

      3D Printed Heart Muscle Beats

      3D Printed Heart Muscle Beats

      Wireless Patch Monitors, Paces Heart and then Biodegrades

      Wireless Patch Monitors, Paces Heart and then Biodegrades

      Photonic Radar Monitors Breathing from a Distance

      Photonic Radar Monitors Breathing from a Distance

    • Surgery
      Implantable Bioreactor for Kidney Cells

      Implantable Bioreactor for Kidney Cells

      Growth Factor-Loaded Microparticles Enhance 3D Bioprinted Muscle

      Growth Factor-Loaded Microparticles Enhance 3D Bioprinted Muscle

      Highly Precise Pressure Sensor for Laparoscopic or Robotic Surgical Tools

      Highly Precise Pressure Sensor for Laparoscopic or Robotic Surgical Tools

      Magnetic Tentacle Robots for Minimally Invasive Procedures

      Magnetic Tentacle Robots for Minimally Invasive Procedures

    • Nanomedicine
      Nanorobots Release Reactive Oxygen Species to Kill Fungal Biofilms

      Nanorobots Release Reactive Oxygen Species to Kill Fungal Biofilms

      Bottlebrush Nanoparticles Deliver Immunostimulatory Drugs

      Bottlebrush Nanoparticles Deliver Immunostimulatory Drugs

      Nanoparticles Deliver mRNA Therapy to the Lungs

      Nanoparticles Deliver mRNA Therapy to the Lungs

      Nanoparticles Get Lymphatic Vessels Pumping

      Nanoparticles Get Lymphatic Vessels Pumping

    • Military Medicine
      Wearable Can Take Multiple Sweat Samples

      Wearable Can Take Multiple Sweat Samples

      Wound Dressing Detects Infection, Changes Color

      Wound Dressing Detects Infection, Changes Color

      Device Measures Hemoglobin More Accurately in Dark Skin

      Device Measures Hemoglobin More Accurately in Dark Skin

      Fingertip Sensor Measures Lithium Levels in Sweat

      Fingertip Sensor Measures Lithium Levels in Sweat

    • Rehab
      Growth Factor-Loaded Microparticles Enhance 3D Bioprinted Muscle

      Growth Factor-Loaded Microparticles Enhance 3D Bioprinted Muscle

      Brain Computer Interface Decodes Speech and Facial Expressions

      Brain Computer Interface Decodes Speech and Facial Expressions

      Semi-Automated Manufacture of E-Skin Sensors

      Semi-Automated Manufacture of E-Skin Sensors

      Above Elbow Amputee Controls Individual Bionic Fingers

      Above Elbow Amputee Controls Individual Bionic Fingers

  • Categories
    • Exclusive
    • A-D
      • Anesthesiology
      • Art
      • Cardiac Surgery
      • Cardiology
      • Critical Care
      • Dentistry
      • Dermatology
      • Diagnostics
    • E-I
      • Emergency Medicine
      • ENT
      • Genetics
      • Geriatrics
      • GI
      • Informatics
    • M-N
      • Medicine
      • Military Medicine
      • Nanomedicine
      • Net News
      • Neurology
      • Neurosurgery
      • Nuclear Medicine
    • O-P
      • Ob/Gyn
      • Oncology
      • Ophthalmology
      • Orthopedic Surgery
      • Pathology
      • Pediatrics
      • Plastic Surgery
      • Psychiatry
      • Public Health
    • R-V
      • Radiation Oncology
      • Radiology
      • Rehab
      • Reproductive Medicine
      • Space Medicine
      • Sports Medicine
      • Surgery
      • Thoracic Surgery
      • Urology
      • Vascular Surgery
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • Submit PR
  • About
  • Log in
  • Submit PR
  • Follow
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Linkedin
    • Youtube
    • Instagram
    • RSS

“Bionic Arm” Technology from the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago

June 28th, 2005 Medgadget Editors Neurology, Orthopedic Surgery, Rehab

Mr. Jesse Sullivan is the world's first Bionic ManMr. Jesse Sullivan is the world’s first “Bionic Man”, according to the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC). In May 2001, Mr. Sullivan lost both of his upper extremities as a result of an accident. The technology that allows this patient to control his artificial arms has been developed by RIC’s Neural Engineering Center for Artificial Limbs (NECAL).

Developed within the Neural Engineering Center for Artificial Limbs (NECAL) at RIC, Dr. Todd Kuiken, MD, PhD, pioneered the muscle reinnervation procedure which takes an amputee’s own nerves and connects them to a healthy muscle. In this case, four of Mr. Sullivan’s nerves were dissected from the shoulder and transferred to the muscles of his chest. Doing so allows the user to move his or her prosthetic arm as if it were a real limb–by simply thinking about what they want the arm to do. The “Bionic Arm,” or myoelectric arm, is driven using electrical signals from the muscles of the chest, now activated by the user’s own thought-generated nerve impulses. These impulses are sensed, via surface electrodes, from the pectoral muscle and carried through to the mechanical arm, causing the arm to move.
NECAL uses nerve-muscle grafts in amputees to gain added control signals for an artificial arm. Doctors take nerves that used to go to the arm and move those nerves onto chest muscles. The nerves grow into the chest muscles, so when the patient thinks “close hand,” a portion of his chest muscle contracts and electrodes that detect this muscle activity tell the computerized arm when to close the hand. Thus, the patient thinks “close hand” and his artificial hand closes…
Researchers at RIC have learned that although the limb is lost with an amputation, the control signals to that limb remain accessible in the residual peripheral nerves. Grafting the residual nerves of an upper-limb amputee to spare muscles produces additional control signals, allowing for simultaneous operation of multiple functions in an externally powered prosthesis with a more natural feel than is possible with conventional prostheses.
The “Bionic Arm” technology has been very successful so far in both significantly improving the function of artificial limbs as well as allowing the skin to be reinnervated with nerves form the arm. The first patient to undergo the new procedure, Jesse Sullivan, has experienced significant improvements in the functioning of his prosthetic arms. While previously moving his artificial arms was slow and cumbersome, today he is able to do many of the routine tasks he took for granted before his accident, including putting on socks, shaving, eating dinner, taking out the garbage, carrying groceries and vacuuming.

More at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (part of the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine)…
Video…

Medgadget Editors

Medical technologies transform the world! Join us and see the progress in real time. At Medgadget, we report the latest technology news, interview leaders in the field, and file dispatches from medical events around the world since 2004.

Sponsored

Viral Vector Manufacturing in Gene Therapy and Vaccine Development

Health and Clean Air: Why Indoor Ventilation Matters

Health and Clean Air: Why Indoor Ventilation Matters

New Survey Finds Strong Consumer Preference for More Natural Hernia Repair Options

MedTech Outlook 2023 for Latin America Released

MedTech Outlook 2023 for Latin America Released

Packaging Compliance Labs (PCL) Celebrates Site Expansion in Grand Rapids, MI

interviews & reviews
UV-Free Air Decontamination: Interview with Sorel Rothschild, VP at Quantum Innovations

UV-Free Air Decontamination: Interview with Sorel Rothschild, VP at Quantum Innovations

EarliPoint Evaluation System for ASD Diagnosis: Interview with Tom Ressemann, CEO of EarliTec Dx

EarliPoint Evaluation System for ASD Diagnosis: Interview with Tom Ressemann, CEO of EarliTec Dx

Visually Guided Uterine Biopsies in Physician’s Office: Interview with Allison London Brown, CEO of LUMINELLE

Visually Guided Uterine Biopsies in Physician’s Office: Interview with Allison London Brown, CEO of LUMINELLE

AI-Powered Pain Relief: Interview with Claire Smith, VP at Nevro

AI-Powered Pain Relief: Interview with Claire Smith, VP at Nevro

MISHA Knee Shock Absorber: Interview with Anton Clifford, CEO of Moximed

MISHA Knee Shock Absorber: Interview with Anton Clifford, CEO of Moximed

Shelf-Stable Breast Milk Powder: Interview with Dr. Vansh Langer, CEO at BBy

Shelf-Stable Breast Milk Powder: Interview with Dr. Vansh Langer, CEO at BBy

"We Are Electric" by Sally Adee: Medgadget Interviews the Author

"We Are Electric" by Sally Adee: Medgadget Interviews the Author

  • Subscribe
  • Contact us
  • Submit
  • About
  • Back to top
Medgadget

Medical technologies transform the world! Join us and see the progress in real time. At Medgadget, we report the latest technology news, interview leaders in the field, and file dispatches from medical events around the world since 2004.

  • About
  • Editorial policies
  • Contact
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy
  • Submit press release
  • Advertise
© Medgadget, Inc. All rights reserved. | The Medical Revolution Will Be Blogged.
Please support this website by adding us to your whitelist in your ad blocker. Ads are what helps us bring you premium content! Thank you!
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Email