Researchers from the Cortical Bionics Research Group have found a method to provide tactile sensation to spinal cord injury patients using a bionic arm, in a step that could significantly advance the brain computer interface (BCI) sector.
The Cortical Bionics Research Group comprises researchers from three US universities – the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Chicago and Northwestern University.
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The team discovered a unique method to encode natural touch sensations via implantable electrodes in the brain, according to a study published in Science.
“The research went beyond anything that has been done before in the field of brain-computer interfaces,” said Giacomo Valle, the study’s lead author.
Intracortical microstimulation, a technique used by BCIs to activate a certain set of neurons in the brain, can already be used to convey feedback from brain-controlled bionic hands. But current technology lacks the sense of touch, which limits many tasks.
Valle and his team fitted two BCI patients with chronic brain implants in the regions of the brain responsible for sensory and motor control in the arm and hand. Although paralysed patients cannot conduct electrical signals from the brain to certain limbs, neural activity still occurs in the corresponding brain regions.
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By GlobalDataThe team used lots of spatially patterned electrodes and were able to convey sensations of edges via sensors placed on the bionic arm. As the team increased the complexity of projected fields, the participants reported more distinct sensations such as the direction and speed of motions across the skin.
“We found a way to type these ‘tactile messages’ via microstimulation using the tiny electrodes in the brain and we found a unique way to encode complex sensations. This allowed for more vivid sensory feedback and experience while using a bionic hand,” Valle said.
The team believes the technology can help the usability of bionic limbs mounted on a wheelchair or similar equipment close by to the user. BCIs can already help spinal cord injury patients control external devices by ‘thoughts’, but feeling object edges and motion direction provides more accuracy and dexterity.
“We conveyed tactile sensations related to orientation, curvature, motion, and 3D shapes for a participant using a brain-controlled bionic limb. We think this richness is crucial for achieving the level of dexterity, manipulation, and a highly dimensional tactile experience typical of the human hand,” Valle added.
Whilst the findings are a major step to helping paralysed patients become more independent, the team says more complex sensors and robotic technology is needed, such as prosthetic skin.
Elon Musk-owned Neuralink is arguably the most famous company in the BCI space, but is relatively immature in its clinical journey, having implanted just two patients. Meanwhile, Synchron, which is backed by billionaires Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates, met its primary endpoint in a feasibility trial in October 2024, reporting that all six patients met efficacy and safety goals.
