New Technology Enables People with Paralysis to Walk Again

A new implant has been manufactured, which mimics the way bodies move muscles, to cure paralysis.

Professor Grégoire Courtine and Professor Jocelyne Bloch led the invention of the device which was initially tested in 2018. The system enabled someone in a wheelchair, who was paralyzed with damage to part of the spine, to walk again for the first time.

Since then, the implant has been improved and is now operated using AI software. There were three individuals in a trial who had all lost sensory and motor function beneath where the spinal injury occurred. After using the implant for a day, they could do everyday activities like walk, swim, ride a bicycle, and regulate motion in their core.

The specific mechanics used in the device are very small, meaning users can use it outside of a laboratory environment.

Developers have partnered with ONWARD Medical to mass produce the implants for patients globally.

Professor Grégoire Courtine said that “Our stimulation algorithms are still based on imitating nature. And our new, soft implanted leads are designed to be placed underneath the vertebrae, directly on the spinal cord. They can modulate the neurons regulating specific muscle groups.”

Professor Jocelyne Bloch added that “Our breakthrough here is the longer, wider implanted leads with electrodes arranged in a way that corresponds exactly to the spinal nerve roots. That gives us precise control over the neurons regulating specific muscles.”

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