Cyber Nerves

Headline from Daily Mail article:

Scientists hope fake nerves could offer sense of touch for amputees with prosthetic limbs

Artificial nerves that allow people with false limbs to feel the heat from a coffee cup or the touch of another person's hand are being developed by scientists.
'Cyber-nerves' are created from a revolutionary material called Pedot that conducts electricity like a wire and which can encourage the growth of new cells.
Strands of Pedot have already been used to connect severed nerves in animals and restore use of defunct muscles.
Researchers are hoping the first tests on people, which could one day help amputees to feel heat, cold and touch with their prosthetic limbs, will start in three years.
Their goal is to splice strands of the material into a patient's nervous system and then connect the cyber-nerves to sensors built into artificial fingers, toes and hands.

www.dailymail.co.uk...

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/3bad5a958c87.jpg[/atsimg]
"The 'cyber-nerves' will also encourage the growth of new cells in the nervous system, allowing amputees to feel touch and heat"

All quotes and the picture are from the Daily Mail article.

[edit on 1-11-2009 by berenike]

now thats science.

what irks me tho, is i heard this was possible 10 years ago!

and also completely real looking robotic prosthetics. the two were supposed to be melded together by now!!

oh well, as long as it happens thats all that counts

reply to post by okamitengu


This is the first I've heard of it and I feel bad that I haven't anything to add to a discussion. I hope it gives hope to people who have had the misfortune to lose a limb.

I've had a look for a bit more information and have found this article from The Times:

www.timesonline.co.uk...

Quote:

Cederna’s research was unveiled last week at the annual American plastic surgeons’ conference in Seattle. It is being funded by the American military and is one of a number of efforts to improve the treatment of people with missing limbs, sparked partly by the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Since the beginning of last year, 55 British servicemen have had at least one limb amputated.

The most advanced computerised limbs fitted at the Headley Court defence medical centre in Surrey are moved wirelessly by controllers in the patient’s pocket.

[edit on 1-11-2009 by berenike]