Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic have developed an advanced bionic arm that allows users with upper limb amputations to achieve a similar level of function as non-amputees. The system incorporates a sense of touch and movement and allows for intuitive motor control. The device is intended for users who have undergone targeted sensory and motor [ (Read more...)
Tag: Rehab
Magnetic Beads for More Precise Control of Bionic Limbs
At MIT a team of engineers have developed a system that they claim will enhance a user’s control of a bionic limb. The technology consists of implantable magnetic beads and a series of sensors that can monitor their movement. When implanted within a muscle in a residual limb, pairs of the beads can provide information […]
Inflatable Prosthetic Hand with a Sense of Touch
Researchers at MIT and Shanghai Jiao Tong University created an inexpensive robotic hand intended for use by upper limb amputees. The device is more like a soft robot than previous robotic prostheses, and includes inflatable components and pneumatics, making it lightweight and inexpensive. Excitingly, the hand is equipped with sensors and provides (Read more...)
Pressure-Sensing Glove to Aid in Stroke Recovery
Researchers at MIT created a sensing glove that can detect small pressuref changes along its surface when a wearer grasps something. The glove is threaded with tiny pressure sensors, which are studded with micropillars that create changes in an electrical signal when they bend and deform. This provides an incredibly sensitive measurement of tactile (Read more...)
Robotic Brace Measures Neck Mobility in Cancer Patients
Patients with head and neck cancer frequently require surgical removal of lymph nodes from the neck. While this is necessary, it can cause pain and stiffness that can persist for a long time after surgery. Assessing neck mobility of such patients would be useful, as it would allow doctors to identify deficits in range of […]
(Read more...)Artificial Skin Bruises Like The Real Thing
Researchers at the Chinese University of Hong Kong have developed an artificial skin that can effectively indicate if damage has occurred, in the same way that our skin bruises naturally. The new skin is made using an ionic hydrogel, and demonstrates changes in electrical signaling when it is deformed. It also produces a purple color […]
Brain Stimulation Lets User Feel Robotic Arm
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have demonstrated that providing direct sensory feedback into the brain dramatically enhanced an impaired patient’s control of a robotic arm. The arm was operated through a brain-computer interface, but the system also included brain implants in an area of the brain responsible for sensory feedback. (Read more...)
Brain-Computer Interface Translates Imagined Writing into Typed Text
Researchers in the BrainGate Collaboration (which includes researchers from Brown University, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, the Providence VA Medical Center, Stanford University, and Case Western Reserve University) have developed a new iteration of their brain-computer interface which allows a spinal injury patient to typ (Read more...)
First Brain-Computer Robotic Stroke Rehab System Authorized by FDA
Neurolutions, a company with offices in Santa Cruz, CA and St. Louis, MO, won FDA de novo authorization to introduce its IpsiHand stroke rehab system in the United States. This is the first approval of a brain-computer interface technology for the rehabilitation of stroke patients, and it promises a faster and more complete recovery of […]
Wireless Sensor Measures Deep Tissue Oxygen Levels
Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley have developed an ultrasound-powered implantable sensor that can measure oxygen levels in tissues deep within the body and transmit these data to an external device. The technology could be useful in monitoring transplant viability or oxygen exposure in preterm infants. It also has potential to (Read more...)
Tunable Vibrations Could be Key to Reducing Lower Back Pain
Researchers at the Nagoya Institute of Technology in Japan have developed a device that can diagnose and help to correct postural instability leading to back pain. The technique involves using vibration to stimulate sensory receptors that help the brain to perceive the position of the body in space, which is known as proprioception. The approach [& (Read more...)
mRNA Delivery System Protects Neurons After Stroke
Researchers at the Tokyo Medical and Dental University have developed a way to deliver therapeutic mRNA to the brain, in this case to produce brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) which can protect neurons from ischemia. The researchers hope that the treatment could help patients who have suffered a stroke to achieve better outcomes by reducing (Read more...)
Ultrasound Technology to Decode Brain Activity for Brain Machine Interfaces
Researchers at Caltech have developed a non-invasive functional ultrasound system that can detect brain activity by listening to tiny changes in blood flow within the brain. The system could provide a viable alternative to invasive electrodes that are implanted into the brain for brain machine interfaces, such as those used in prosthetics. So far, (Read more...)
Silver-Hydrogel Composite for Bioelectronic Applications
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have developed a silver-hydrogel composite that can conduct electricity, which looks promising for use in a variety of bioelectronics applications. These include skin mounted electrodes for neuromuscular stimulation that may be helpful in treating muscular disorders or other motor issues. Soft materials are (Read more...)
Skin-Like Sensor for Fine Control of Prosthetic Arms
Researchers at the City University of Hong Kong have developed a soft sensor for sensitive measurement of shear forces applied to its surface. When attached to robotic grippers, the tactile sensing allows for fine control of grasped objects, enabling the robot to perform impressive feats, such as threading a needle and gripping an egg without [&hel (Read more...)
Electrical Stimulation for Improved Function Post-Spinal Cord Injury: Interview with Dave Marver, CEO, ONWARD
You may have seen an article Medgadget published recently about a minimally invasive neuromodulation technology that has shown significant promise in improving arm and hand function in patients with spinal cord injuries. The technology, called the ARC system, has been developed by ONWARD, a medtech company started by researchers at the Swiss Federa (Read more...)
Electrical Stimulation Helps Regain Hand Function Post Spinal Cord Injury
Researchers at the University of Washington have trialed a minimally invasive electrical stimulation technique that has resulted in remarkable improvements in the hand and arm function of spinal cord injury patients. The approach involves sticking band-aid-like patches onto the back of the neck of patients to deliver electrical pulses, helping to s (Read more...)
Brain-Machine Interface and Exoskeleton Improve Stroke Rehab
Stroke rehabilitation as a field of research holds great promise in improving how patients recover. Unlike other organs, the brain’s neuroplasticity allows it to functionally reshape itself in beneficial ways. But it doesn’t do it on its own, so targeted interventions that require patient participation are key to optimal outcomes. There (Read more...)
Sensor Converts Forearm Signals to Control Prosthetic Hands
Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley have developed a wearable sensor that can measure electrical signals in the forearm and use AI to correlate them with hand gestures, such as the movements of individual fingers. The team demonstrated that the system can control a robotic prosthetic hand and that it may provide a way […]
Implantable Bladder Wrap for Improved Urinary Control
Researchers at Penn State have developed an implantable device that coils around the bladder to detect when the bladder is full and assist with emptying it by contracting on-demand. The device is intended to treat underactive bladder, a condition in which incomplete bladder emptying leads to irregular and uncomfortable urination. “Researchers (Read more...)