Friday, November 30th, 2007

Re-Wiring the Sense of Touch

This video plays best with Flash

Items on this page work best if you have the current version of Adobe's Flash Player installed. Click on the image to the left to install the player.

This is the first "targeted reinnervation" patient. Targeted reinnervation is the transfer of amputated nerves to spare muscle and skin in an amputee's residual limb. The nerves grow into the muscle. This technique could provide additional control signals for the operation of a prosthesis. (Credits: Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago) Viewed 1962 times. See More Videos

This video plays best with Flash

Items on this page work best if you have the current version of Adobe's Flash Player installed. Click on the image to the left to install the player.

(Credits: Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago) Viewed 929 times. See More Videos

This video plays best with Flash

Items on this page work best if you have the current version of Adobe's Flash Player installed. Click on the image to the left to install the player.

Watch researchers grow a heart. (Credits: courtesy of University of Minnesota) Viewed 13506 times. See More Videos

Doctors have rewired the nerves of two people with amputated arms, re-routing the major nerves that carry sensation from the hand to the pectoral muscles in the chest. After the procedure, the patients can experience an object touching a portion of their chest in two ways at the same time -- the expected feeling of being touched on the chest, as well as the sensation of being touched on a missing hand.

In this segment, Ira talks with one of the doctors involved in the project about how the re-wiring works, and whether it could lead to more effective prosthetic devices.