New prosthetic arm technology ‘can detect spinal nerve signals’

New sensor technology has been developed by researchers to allow prosthetic arms to detect nerve signals from the spinal cord.

An Imperial College London team decoded and mapped information from spinal motor neurons, before interpreting them using computer models and encoding specific signals as commands into the design of the prosthetic.

A sensor patch was then connected to the muscle tissue and the prosthetic, with amputees receiving guidance from physiotherapists on how to control the device by thinking about specific phantom arm and hand commands.

Detecting signals from spinal motor neurons in parts of the body undamaged by amputation can offer numerous benefits over relying on remnant muscle fibre, as it means that more signals can be detected by the sensors connected to the prosthetic.

Ultimately, this could allow more commands to be programmed into the robotic device, making it more precise and functional than current systems.

Study leader Dr Dario Farina said: "Our technology can detect and decode signals more clearly, opening up the possibility of robotic prosthetics that could be far more intuitive and useful for patients. It is a very exciting time to be in this field of research."

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