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Leg-Paralysis Sensing, Stimulation Device Steps Up
AndreV writes "After 30 years of development, a device developed at Simon Fraser University that assists people to walk who have paralysis in one leg will soon be on the market in Europe and, eventually, in the US and Canada. The pacemaker-like Neurostep uses nerve cuffs to sense and stimulate nerve activity in the paralyzed leg, allowing greater mobility for those suffering from neurological disabilities such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, or cerebral palsy. About the size of a cell phone, the 'brain' integrates three digital modules: the neurosensing module (receives nerve impulses), real-time adaptive control module (interrogates the signals and identifies physical events), and neurostimulation module (delivers stimulation to the target nerve). It was recently approved for use in Europe, and they are working to begin clinical trials and introduce the device in the US."
So long as you can get them to use energy from some source other than our delicious brains, I'm okay with that idea.
Oh come on.. it's a real knee slapper!
Every time I start to have faith in humanity, I ruin it by driving to work between 7 and 8 am.
Damn. I'm sorry Christopher Reeve didn't live to see this -- he spent so much of his time fighting to promote research on paralysis, and this is such an exciting development.
Middle-aged professional woman still plays computer games. Film at 11.
What could possibly go wrong?
It says nothing about what the neural cuffs do, or how they do it, or what they do it for. All it says is that there is some 'electromagic' box connected to the nerves, helping paralyzed people in some mysterious way. And that it took time and money to make.
This lack of real information irritates me.
What is it? Investor fodder?
Kim0