Helping hand for prosthetics
Baku, April 17 (AZERTAC). An EU-funded project has developed an artificial hand that will revolutionise the lives of amputees. The so-called Smarthand has all the basic functions of its real counterpart including sensitivity and motor control.
For amputees who have lost a hand, the after effects can be devastating. Apart from the obvious loss of a very complex moving part of the body, self-consciousness and distorted self-image as well as excruciating phantom pains can make many aspects of life very difficult.
With all these considerations in mind, `The smart bio-adaptive hand prosthesis` (Smarthand) project aimed to develop a functional artificial hand with a neural interface that can record data and stimulate nerves accordingly. Evidence suggests that electric stimulation of nerves associated with phantom pains has positive and pain-killing effects.
The Smarthand that the team developed uses a unique technology that sets it apart from predecessor artificial hands - a measure of sensation for the user. Forty sensors connected to the amputee`s remaining upper arm nerves are activated when the user presses the hand on an object. The result is the brain processes these as if they originate in the prosthesis.
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