The first bionic hand that will give its wearer the sense of touch is expected to be tested on a patient later this year.
The groundbreaking prosthetic limb is expected to be given to a young man from Rome, Italy, who lost the lower part of his hand in an accident.
According to the inventors of the bionic hand from the Fédérale de Lausannein Switzerland, electrodes on the next-generation prosthetic limb will be connected directly to the patient's median and ulnar nerves - the two main nerves in the hand. This will give the patient the ability to control the movements of their limb and to feel the signals sent by the ultra-sensitive sensors embedded in the artificial skin of the bionic hand's fingers.
"Living" prosthetic limbs
"This is real progress that could give hope and a better quality of life to people who have suffered amputations," explains Dr. Silvestro Micera.
"We are talking about the first new generation prosthetic limb that will provide us with valuable information about the grasping process. The better a patient's understanding of the prosthetic limb, the greater the chances of its acceptance," explains the scientist.
"Perhaps within the next year of its installation we will have new, more effective solutions for people who have suffered amputations," he adds.
The experts' new bionic hand receives a multitude of stimuli that start from the skin, fingers and palm and reach the wrist.
"The patient can pinch themselves and receive this information from three fingers or feel the movement of their hand or wrist. By connecting the prosthetic limb directly to the patient's nervous system, we hope to achieve the execution of controlled, precise movements," concludes Dr. Mitsera.
Within the first month, the researchers want to see how well the patient can adapt to the new data. If all goes well from this trial, then based on the data collected, the researchers will refine the bionic hand, which they estimate could be ready for widespread use within two years.
