An astonishing new brain implant has allowed a paralyzed man to move again
Ian Burkhart was involved in a swimming accident five years ago that left him paralyzed and unable to use his hands, but he is now able to perform a multitude of tasks from pouring water to playing video games.
GeoBeats News reports:
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The technology was developed by researchers from both Ohio State University and Batelle Research.
It operates by allowing brain signals to bypass Burkhart’s damaged spinal cord and be delivered directly to the appropriate muscles.
The microchip that picks up the pulses is implanted in the man’s brain, and the commands are decoded and forwarded to a multi-bar bracelet he wears around his arm.
Leigh Hochberg from Brown University, who wasn’t involved in this particular development, believes the day when external devices will no longer be needed to perform such a feat could be as little as years away.
