"It so easy that there is nothing to explain. " That said, a young Christian Kandlbauer who lost both arms in an accident, of his new prosthesis. And although the definition may seem scarce and needed to understand how it works, it is uniquely placed to understand the perfection of this new bionic arm. Is that this is how humans act, without explanation or awareness of what muscles you use when they want to make a move. Just do it.
One of the main innovations is that bionic arm is coupled to an artificial hand . "They have built a microsensor in the index finger of the hand prosthetic record temperature, grip strength and nature of the object's surface has been taken, "he told Clarin Hubert Egger, director of the" Arm with mind control, "the company Otto Bock.
whole project was developed by the German firm specializing in the creation of prosthetic-founded by Otto Bock, creator of prostheses from the time of the First World War, which also received the collaboration of specialists at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago and Vienna General Hospital. According to Egger, the prosthesis moves "with the mind, moving it only is in its report, the phantom arm. It is thought that they acknowledge this as a will and carries out. "
The key to this new arm is the technique of targeted muscle reinnervation, also known as TMR (English abbreviation of "Targeted Muscle reinnervation). This process uses the motor nerves are still present in the patient's stump, and the piece uses to interpret the order given by a person's brain. This is perhaps one of the most mysterious aspects of this type of prosthesis, it has not yet been accurately identified the extent of the brain stimulation.
electrical nerve impulses that the brain sends processed and powerful microcontrollers in the prosthesis transmitted in near real time the motor commands of impulses . This is how to generate equivalent orders of prosthetic joints.
"In the prosthesis is a 'minicomputer' by analyzing the current 500 million operations per second and transmits the movement which the patient imagines himself in the brain almost simultaneously, in less than 80 milliseconds. "In all three planes can be controlled with a prosthesis joint mental control: open and close the hand, rotate the wrist in supination and pronation, flex and extend elbow. As movements of these planes of joints can be carried out simultaneously, it is possible to intuitively rapid movement patterns and selective, "said Egger.
The official launch of this new model was in May 2010 in Leipzig. There, he showed how Christian Kandlbauer the first artificial mind control for everyday use. Before the official launch, scientists from the company Otto Bock had to reduce the weight of the prosthesis: the first prototype weighed 6 kilos and this final version weighs 2.5.
however, is still in a testing phase.
is not known exactly how took it, but usually manage budgets exceeding 50 million dollars for its development. According to Hans Dietl, chairman of the Board of Directors of Otto Bock, could begin to be sold within 4 years, when finished tune some details. The prototype was made specifically for Christian Kandlbauer and trials are still missing so you can use anyone.
Meanwhile, the innovations continue: "We have already successfully tested a prosthetics laboratory with seven joints," says Egger. "In addition to the motor fibers may be used sensory nerve fibers led back. This will allow the development of sensitive prosthetic hand capable of feeling as real. "
"I have the same ability"
All Kandlbauer Christian reminiscent of the accident in which he lost both his arms after receiving an electric shock of 20 thousand volts is when a psychologist told what had happened. "I did the world over," he recalls. But now he lives a different reality: "I have almost the same ability and independence it had before the accident," he says in his chat. It also gives a hopeful message: "At first I was not going through my head after the amputation of both arms would be able to return to work or drive a car. " And the prosthesis is so perfect, she says, most people do not even notice. "Not seen. Anyway, I learned to accept myself as I am, which is very important, "says this young Austrian today.
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