Neural Implant Enables Amputees to Move and Feel Prosthetic Hand
From: Medical Design Technology - 02/10/2015

University of Utah researchers have received $1.4 million to further develop
an implantable neural interface that will allow an amputee to move an
advanced prosthetic hand with just his or her thoughts. The neural interface
will also convey feelings of touch and movement.

Called the Utah Slanted Electrode Array, the neural interface uses 100
electrodes that connect with nerves in an amputee's arm to read signals from
the brain telling the hand how to move. Likewise, the neural interface
delivers meaningful sensations of touch and movement from a prosthetic hand
back to the brain.

Current prosthetic limbs can make only limited movements via remaining
muscles, such as with a shoulder shrug. Utah bioengineering associate
professor Gregory Clark hopes that the Utah Slanted Electrode Array will give
users of this advanced prosthetic hand over 20 types of hand and wrist
movements by using electrical signals from remaining nerves and muscles. The
sensory feedback afforded by the array might help the user not only to feel,
but also to feel whole again, Clark said. Most conventional prosthetic limbs
also provide no sense of touch or movement.

Read the entire article at:
http://www.mdtmag.com/news/2015/02/neural-implant-enables-amputees-move-and-feel-prosthetic-hand