NATURAL SKIN SENSORS FOR NEUROMOTOR PROSTHESES CONTROL

最近的研究表明，日常抓握时的握力 活动以自动方式进行精确调整，以匹配负载 被抓住的物体和皮肤上存在的摩擦条件。 来自皮肤触觉感受器的信息主要负责 这项规定。 这项拟议的应用研究项目的目标是： 1)阐明皮肤触觉受体在控制 人的把握； 2)确定是否可以从皮肤获得有效的触觉反应 在四肢瘫痪的手中的传入；以及3)确定是否反应 这些天然传感器可以用来增强FNS的可控性 恢复残障患者抓握功能的神经运动假体系统 双手瘫痪或感觉迟钝的人。 该项目利用经皮正中神经显微成像技术来 直接研究人类手部皮肤传入的反应。 初步研究将在正常受试者握住 安装在伺服控制拉料机上的仪表化物体。他们的回应 识别的触觉传入的特异性将被研究的影响 刺激率、幅度、拉动方向以及 同时施加于蒙皮的法向力和剪切力。除了……之外 同时施加在皮肤上的法向力和剪切力的相互作用。在……里面 除了单单元分析，神经记录将是均方根 处理以确定所述聚集的活动是否来自所记录的 可用于估计应用于蒙皮的平均法向力。这个 C5、C6脊髓损伤手部触觉传入的活性 患者将使用从正中位置记录的诱发电位进行研究， 尺、桡神经对指神经的刺激作用。之后 建立这些患者主要神经、触觉传入的通畅 在正中神经中将进行显微神经成像研究，而皮肤 手指的位置是机械刺激的。 该项目的最后一个方面试图确定记录的活动 指总神经周围临时置入袖带电极 四肢瘫痪患者的手可以用来估计 将机械刺激应用于适当的指尖皮肤。

Recent studies demonstrate that grip strength during everyday grasping activities is precisely regulated in an automatic manner to match the load of the grasped object and the frictional conditions present on the skin. Information from cutaneous tactile receptors is primarily responsible for this regulation. The objectives of this proposed applied research project are: 1) to elucidate the roles of cutaneous tactile receptors in controlling human grasp; 2) to determine if viable tactile responses can be obtained from cutaneous afferents in the quadriplegic hand; and 3) to determine if the responses of these natural sensors can be used to enhance the controlability of FNS neuromotor prostheses systems that restore grasp function in handicapped individuals who have paralyzed or asensory hands. The project utilizes percutaneous microneurography of the median nerve to directly study the responses of cutaneous afferents of the human hand. Initial studies will be performed with normal subjects while they grip an instrumented object attached to a servo controlled puller. The response specificity of identified tactile afferents will be studied for effects of stimulus rate, amplitude, direction of pull, and the interaction of simultaneous normal and shear forces applied to the skin. In addition to interaction of simultaneous normal and shear forces applied to the skin. In addition to single unit analyses, nerve records will be root mean square processed to determine if the massed activity from the recorded fascical can be used to estimate the average normal forces applied to the skin. The viability of the tactile afferents in the hands of C5 and C6 spinal injury patients will be studied using evoked potentials recorded from the median, ulnar and radial nerves to stimulation of the digital nerves. After establishing the patency of these patients major nerves, tactile afferents in the median nerve will be studied using microneurography while the skin of the fingers is mechanically stimulated. The final aspect of the project seeks to determine if the activity recorded using cuff electrode temporarily installed around the common digital nerve in a quadriplegic patient's hand can be used to estimate the magnitude of mechanical stimuli applied to the appropriate finger tip skin.