NATURAL SKIN SENSORS FOR NEUROMOTOR PROSTHESES CONTROL

最近的研究表明，在日常抓握过程中， 以自动方式精确调节活动，以匹配负载 和皮肤上的摩擦条件。 来自皮肤触觉感受器的信息主要负责 这个规定。 这项拟议的应用研究计划的目标是： 1)阐明皮肤触觉感受器在控制 人的把握; 2)为了确定是否可以从皮肤获得可行的触觉响应， 四肢瘫痪的手的传入;和3），以确定是否响应 这些天然的传感器可以用来增强FNS的可控性 恢复残疾人抓握功能的神经运动假体系统 手麻痹或感觉迟钝的人。 该项目利用正中神经的经皮显微神经造影术， 直接研究人手皮肤传入神经的反应。 最初的研究将在正常受试者中进行， 连接到伺服控制拉出器的仪器物体。响应 识别的触觉传入的特异性将被研究， 刺激速率、振幅、拉力方向以及 同时施加到皮肤上的法向力和剪切力。除了 同时作用在蒙皮上的法向力和剪力的相互作用。在 除了单个单元分析外，神经记录将是均方根 处理以确定来自记录的束的聚集活动是否 可用于估计施加到皮肤的平均法向力。的 C5和C6脊髓损伤患者手部触觉传入纤维的活性 将使用从中值记录的诱发电位来研究患者， 尺神经和桡神经对指神经的刺激。后 建立这些患者的主要神经、触觉传入神经 将使用显微神经造影术研究正中神经， 手指受到机械刺激。 该项目的最后一个方面是确定记录的活动是否 使用临时安装在总指神经周围的袖带电极 在四肢瘫痪病人的手中，可以用来估计的幅度 机械刺激施加到适当的指尖皮肤。

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.