A 23-year-old paralyzed man can move his hand just by thinking about it, using a system that connects his brain directly to his muscles.
The so-called neurobridge technology decodes brain activity that controls movements and connects it to a muscle stimulation sleeve that transmits signals to the paralyzed limb. It was developed by Battelle and tested at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
Ian Burkhart, who was paralyzed from the chest down in a diving accident, had a small chip implanted in his brain. It sends signals to a computer, and then to his hand. "I'd love to be more independent like brushing my teeth and opening a water bottle, or just picking something up off of a table and bringing it to myself would be great," he told NBC station WCMH in Columbus.
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-Lisa Tolin