Science Daily featured University of Utah and their study on implementation of sensory perception in prosthetic arms, “Motorized prosthetic arm can sense touch, move with your thoughts.” Scientists coined the name, “LUKE arm” for their new prosthetic to symbolize the higher level of technology and innovation that went into creating it (University of Utah, 2019). This piece is utilized through batteries and a portable computer. For example, one of the actions presented in the article was the ability to hold an egg with enough force not to drop it but less enough to prevent the egg from cracking. J.A. George, et al. describes the process of creating the piece using a slightly invasive approach of implantation; they write, “we planted one Utah Slanted Electrode Array (USEA) in the median nerve and another in the ulnar nerve, plus eight electromyographic recording leads (iEMGs) in the forearm muscles of an individual with a transradial amputation halfway between the wrist and elbow” (J.A. George et al., 2019). By having the electrodes implanted into the body, it is easier for those using the prosthetics to better interact with the environment and feel things they couldn’t before their amputation. Another interesting finding in the article was the increased presence of phantom sensations, feeling in the amputated section of the participant’s arm. Since the experiment duration lasted over a year studying the functional prosthetic, it would be interesting to know the time in which the prosthetic lasts or needs replacement, along with any new effects the electrode may have in the body long term. Since the prosthetic is battery operated, would people be able to use it in extreme temperatures such as on hot summer day since this could cause overheating, in the winter, or outside in rainy or snowy climates?
The previous experiment at the University of Utah relates to Levi J. Hargrove, et al.’s study, “Intuitive Control of a Powered Prosthetic Leg During Ambulation,” in which electrodes are placed on the prosthetic of amputees to walk in a more comfortable manner (Hargrove LJ et al., 2015). Experimenters studied various movements in participants along with their ability to transition from one type to another, such as transitioning from walking to proceeding up and down stairs which requires a different type of motion. Due to the underlying mechanisms of the prosthetic, its functionality is dependable on the intactness of certain leg muscles above the knee. Since the prosthetic is non-invasive these muscles act as sensors through EMGs to perform motions in a more fluid and natural way.
The two studies have numerous similarities in prosthetics even though findings are directed towards different limbs. Both sets of researchers considered daily activities when creating their prosthetics and utilized EMG signaling for better motion. It would be interesting to apply the mechanisms utilized in creating the arm prosthetic to improve prosthetics for legs even more. While Hargrove et al. used a noninvasive approach, it would be interesting to explore implants in leg prosthetics to improve touch there as well. This may help with everyday movements such as walking on more flexible footing like sand or rockier areas. Along with this, it would help in getting a sense of when the surface deviates from flat to an area like potholes or bigger cracks on sidewalks to increase usability. While both sample sizes were small in the experiments, it would be interesting to explore this type of implant on those that are amputated higher up on their limbs.
University of Utah. "Motorized prosthetic arm can sense touch, move with your thoughts." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 24 July 2019. <www.sciencedaily.com
J. A. George et al., Biomimetic sensory feedback through peripheral nerve stimulation improves dexterous use of a bionic hand. Sci. Robot. 4, eaax2352 (2019). DOI:10.1126/scirobotics.aax2352
Hargrove LJ, Young AJ, Simon AM, et al. Intuitive Control of a Powered Prosthetic Leg During Ambulation: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2015;313(22):2244–2252. doi:10.1001/jama.2015.4527
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