Patients with spinal chord injuries may have a chance to walk again thanks to scientists from Australia who have developed a "bionic spine," a tiny, paperclip sized device that works as a brain implant, according to the Telegraph. Currently, it is set to be tested on three paraplegic patients in Melbourne next year and will allow patients suffering from paralysis to control equipment that move robotic limbs subconsciously.
"It's the holy grail for research in bionics," said Terence O'Brien, a doctor from the Royal Melbourne Hospital.
The procedure was developed by a team of 39 scientists and involves the implantation of a 1-inch stent, which contains 12 electrodes, beside the brain's motor cortex, which is responsible for controlling movement. The implantation is achieved by inserting the stent into a neck vein via a catheter and then pushing it up into the cortex.
The metal stent possesses elastic properties in order to bend and compress to make it easier to traverse through the brain, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. Not only does this process decrease the risk of the brain injury typically present in these kinds of implants, it takes mere hours instead of days.
The stent is designed to receive electrical signals that are sent out from the cortex and send them to a device that is implanted into the shoulder, which then translates the signals into commands that are wirelessly sent to bionic limbs or exoskeleton suits.
"The technical problem was how do you safely leave electrodes inside the brain, in a blood vessel inside the brain, without causing any damage to the subject," said Tom Oxley, lead researcher of the device. "We have been able to create the world's only minimally invasive device that is implanted into a blood vessel in the brain via a simple day procedure."
The device will take some time for patients to effectively use and will require training in order for them to take full advantage of their thoughts to move the bionic limbs, which will eventually lead to the process becoming subconscious, according to ScienceAlert.
