Scientists from the Medical University of Vienna (MedUni Vienna), Austria, and Imperial College London, UK, have introduced a new approach that enables the detection and use of residual nerve signals following arm amputation to control artificial arms.
This advancement is highlighted in study findings that may underpin future designs of prosthetic devices.
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The research forms part of the European Research Council-funded Natural BionicS project.
In the study, new microelectrodes with 40 channels were implanted in the muscles of three subjects who had undergone arm amputation.
Prior to electrode implantation, subjects had received targeted muscle reinnervation (TMR), a surgical technique that redirects nerves left post-amputation into remaining muscles, generating new interfaces for capturing neural signals.
Through this combination of surgical reinnervation and implanted microelectrodes, scientists were able to record the individual motor neuron activity.
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By GlobalDataThese are the nerve cells responsible for transmitting movement commands from the spinal cord to muscles.
The scientists linked these electrical patterns to certain intended movements by making subjects perform actions with their phantom limb mentally.
MedUni Vienna’s Clinical Laboratory for Bionic Limb Reconstruction head and study author Oskar Aszmann said: “Using our method, we were able to precisely identify the nerve signals that underlie, for example, the stretching of a finger or the bending of the wrist.鈥�
The recorded analysis demonstrated that even post-amputation, the nervous system preserves complex movement intentions.
These can be reconstructed mathematically, suggesting future applications in prosthetic control.
The ongoing work sets the stage for wireless implants which can transmit nerve signals in real time to artificial limbs or other assistive systems.
Looking ahead, the researchers suggest this work lays the groundwork for creating a so-called bioscreen to visualise intricate neural activity associated with movement, which would support new generations of prostheses.
