Austrian scientists have developed the first artificial leg that stimulates “feeling” for the patient.
According to AFP, The prosthetic limb has sensors that connects to rewired nerve endings in the patient’s stump, so that the patient can feel the leg being moved as if it were a real one.
Austrian amputee Wolfgang Rangger was the first to test the device. “It feels like I have a foot again. It’s like a second lease of life,” he said. The former teacher lost his leg in 2007, after a blood clot caused by a stroke. Now, he goes running, cycling and climbing, with a barely noticeable limp. In addition, the “feeling” leg has cured him of phantom limb pain, which is caused by the brain seeking signals from the missing leg.
Professor Hubert Egger at the University of Linz developed the prosthesis. Previously, Egger created an artificial arm that could be controlled by the patient’s mind, using motor neurons that used to connect to the missing limb. The artificial leg with feeling uses the nerves in reverse: connecting the prosthesis to the brain.
First, surgeons rewired the nerve endings remaining in the patient’s stump to tissue closer to the surface of the thigh. Six sensors were added to the sole of the artificial foot, which allows it to sense motion and texture. The sensors are linked linked to stimulators inside the shaft, until it reaches the base of the stump, and conveys the sensations to the patient’s brain.
Read more: Artificial Limbs Rewired to Nerve Endings Restore Patient Sensations
The Latest on: Artificial Limbs
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Artificial Limbs” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Artificial Limbs
- How a Virtual Assistant Taught Me to Appreciate Busyworkon April 24, 2024 at 2:02 am
A new category of apps promises to relieve parents of drudgery, with an assist from A.I. But a family’s grunt work is more human, and valuable, than it seems.
- For Mountaineer Maureen Beck, Accessibility Is A Literal Climbon April 23, 2024 at 11:22 am
Meeting them propelled her to go harder, with Beck telling me “they inspired me and I hopefully inspire them to really push what is possible with our disabilities.” The motivation proved fruitful, as ...
- Woman's Pack of Disabled Dogs on Wheels Will Melt Anyone's Hearton April 23, 2024 at 5:30 am
Pearl has a lot of experiencing training dogs—she’s even worked on movies—and she knows exactly what man’s best friend is capable of. So when she was first contacted by a rescue organization about a ...
- Healthon April 22, 2024 at 5:00 am
Giebel, director of the VA Rocky Mountain network, which includes the Aurora hospital, confirmed The Denver Post’s reporting from November that first uncovered the prosthetics ...
- Trekking 80km to raise money for artificial limbson April 20, 2024 at 11:31 pm
We come to you. We are always looking for ways to improve our stories. Let us know what you liked and what we can improve on.
- AI-enhanced four-legged Robot LocoMan that mimics human beingson April 19, 2024 at 6:08 am
The joint research of Carnegie Mellon Washington, and Google DeepMind has paved the way for a breakthrough artificial four-legged robot locoman ...
- CyberMedic Simulatoron April 18, 2024 at 11:06 am
Search for the wounded cybernetic humans during space battles. Transplant artificial limbs and replace damaged organs using bionic implants. Do everything in your power to save humanoids life.
- Lost limbs no barrier to enjoying sport as ‘try out’ day in Belfast highlightson April 18, 2024 at 7:50 am
Amputees gathered for a day of sports as part of a process to highlight the benefits of participation for those with prosthetics, in wheelchairs or otherwise with lost limbs. The ‘try out’ day, ...
- Brain's Cerebellum Could Help Direct Prosthetic Limbson April 16, 2024 at 12:35 am
TUESDAY, April 16, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Tapping the power of the small brain region called the cerebellum could improve patients’ ability to move cutting-edge robotic limbs, a new study ...
- Meet the Ukrainian amputees returning to the front to resist Russian advanceon April 11, 2024 at 3:35 am
Masi Nayyem, co-founder of Pryncyp, said it was fairly common to see soldiers with artificial limbs still serving, though he didn't know how many had returned to the military and how many had ...
via Bing News