Science fiction becomes reality thanks to a few scientists from Case Western Reserve University, who managed to restore the use of his arms to a patient with paralysis thanks to cerebral control interface that along with certain actuators installed in the arms of the individual, create a sort of “wireless spinal cord”.
To be more specific, the brain control interface (BCI) reads brain waves that emanating from the motor cortex of the individual, converting them into electrical signals which will then be transmitted wirelessly to an actuator “cooked” in the patient’s arm. This process allows them to stimulate and contract certain muscles of the arms by electrical impulses, allowing the patient recover the cerebral control of these previously paralyzed limbs.
The spinal cord still not operating perfectly
Not everything is rosy, of course, since the post-operation studies revealed that the patient still has a lot of difficulty moving his arms. This is because the communication between our brains and electronic implants is not yet advanced enough to provide perfect control over them.
However, it is still a breakthrough for both the technology and for medicine, proving that both fields are always sustained by the hand.