Efficacy of a Neural Interface for Potential Use in Limb Prosthetics

使用高级假肢的主要技术问题之一是使用者无法以模仿正常功能的方式控制假肢。当神经被切断或破坏时，对肢体的控制就失去了，尽管控制的信息可能仍然存在于未受损伤或截肢的神经部分。如果这些信息可以用于操作假肢，那么就可以更好地控制假肢。提出的研究检查了设计用于连接周围神经系统与假肢电子硬件的组件的有效性。这项工作将利用多电极电缆（MEC）装置进行，该装置利用在其上生长的肌肉细胞来吸引神经向MEC再生。该接口将能够检测来自神经的信号，解码神经冲动，从而控制假肢。研究的第一部分将在啮齿动物身上测试这项技术，以确定切断的神经是否能被MEC吸引，以及MEC是否能解码来自神经的信号，特别是长时间的信号。啮齿类动物实验的某些组成部分已经成功地进行了，这项研究的一个主要目标是将许多技术结合起来，并确定整个系统是否作为一个整体运行。本实验结果对改进和提高人体肢体假肢的实用性至关重要。

Zanakis 9632962 One of the major technological problems in the use of advanced limb prosthetics is the inability of the user to control the prosthesis in a manner which can mimic normal function. When nerves are severed or disrupted, control over the limb is lost, even though the information for control may still be present in the portions of the nerves that were spared from damage or amputation. If that information can be used to operate the prosthesis, then better control of the artificial limb can be achieved. The proposed research examines the effectiveness of components designed to interface the peripheral nervous system with the electronic hardware of the prosthetics. The work will be performed utilizing a multi-electrode cable (MEC) device which uses muscle cells grown upon it in order to attract the nerves to regenerate toward the MEC. The interface will be able to detect signals from the nerves, decode the nerve impulses, and therefore control a prosthesis. The first part of the study will test this technology in rodents, to determine if cut nerves can be attracted to the MEC, and if the MEC can then decode signals from the nerve, particularly for long periods of time. Certain components of the rodent experiments have already been performed successfully, and a major goal of this study is to combine the many techniques and determine if the entire system performs as a unit. The results of this experiment are crucial to the refinement and increased utility of human limb prosthetics.