New implant for paralytics

An implant has helped men with paralysis on one side of their body to walk again. The Japanese invented device uses signals from the healthy leg to move the injured one. Sensors in the good limb relay the signals to muscle stimulators in the paralysed leg.

So far it has been tested on two men and both have been able to walk again despite suffering severe strokes. The electrical stimulation also has a therapeutic effect, preventing the leg muscles from getting stiff.

New Scientist reports it could be another five years or more before the technology becomes widely available.

Muscle sensors monitor signals from the patient's able leg which trigger pre-programmed electrical impulses in electrodes near nerves in the other leg. By using the working leg to control the paralysed one there is no need to use manual switches to make the leg move. The system even learns and individual patient's muscle movement so it can almost perfectly predict the right movement.

Source: The Times of India
Dated :2nd September, 2002