Restoring Natural Human Sensation in Amputees

At Case Western Reserve University's Functional Neural Interfaces (FNI) Lab, Professor Dustin J. Tyler, Ph.D., and his research team are working to advance neural interface technology towards clinical application to improve the quality of life for neurologically impaired individuals. In this video demonstration, an amputee carefully handles cherries by touch alone using a prosthetic hand. Sensation is restored to the prosthetic hand by three flat interface nerve electrodes implanted on the peripheral nerves of the residual limb. The sensation feels like natural sensation in the user's phantom hand. With the addition of sensation, the prosthetic hand begins to feel more like a part of the user's body.

Transcript

00:00:02 [Music] what's your impression about doing it without any feedback very difficult I I know when the hand open I know when the hand's closing but I don't know when I get to the Cherry if it's there or farther down some of them it felt like I squished it but I wasn't [Music] sure describe your strategy make sure I

00:00:40 feel it in the two fingers before I pluck if not I feel felt like I went too far then the Palm came into play that I didn't think I had anything I think I might have two near misses two or three so then I had to go back and do it again and make sure I get them in both [Music]