London: A “rewired” woman fitted with a “bionic arm” that is controlled by thought has experienced sensation in her missing hand, in a development that offers hope for improvements in prosthetics.
Claudia Mitchell, nicknamed the ‘Bionic Woman,’ was fitted with the limb in 2006 after losing her arm in a motorcycle crash in 2004. Now, when Ms. Mitchell thinks ‘move,’ her chest muscle let out tiny electrical impulses which are picked up by the robotic arm. These signals are interpreted by a computer and motors cause the arm to move almost instantly, the Daily Telegraph reported.
The procedure has had an odd side-effect, enabling Ms. Mitchell to “feel” sensations in her missing hand. The discovery offers the hope of new improvements in prosthetics.
Ms. Mitchell experienced the sensations because doctors moved sensory and motor nerves from her shoulder to chest, believe scientists. — PTI
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