Progression of Prosthetic Limbs

James Hines
Mulvey, Matthew R, Helen J. Fawkner, Helen E. Radford, and Mark I. Johnson.
"Perceptual Embodiment of Prosthetic Limbs by Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve
Stimulation." Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface. 15.1 (2012):
42-47. Print.
In able-bodied participants, it is possible to induce a sense of feeling in an
artificial hand or arm using an illusion. In amputee patients, electrical stimulation
of sensory nerves, using transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS),
have been shown to generate sensations in an amputee's phantom limb(s).
Participants showed that they could feel more intense reactions during the TENS
conditions compared to the non-TENS conditions. TENS paresthesia can
enhance the perceptual senses of an artificial hand. In conclusion, due to this
method, called TENS, patients that use artificial limbs can feel more senses after
the nerve stimulation. This is a huge step in the biomedical engineering field and
will leave the patients much more satisfied with having an artificial arm or leg.

"The Progression of Prosthetics." Neinstein Personal Injury Lawyers. N.p., 24 Mar.

2016. Web. 31 Oct. 2016.
In this article, a brand new technology that will change the lives of tons of people
is being discussed. This new technology helps the brain work with robotic arms
to help patients that have lost control and sensory feelings in their limbs. This will
allow patients and users of this technology to regain the ability to move their
arms and be able to feel what they are doing. FMRI imaging of the brain to place
a pair of small electrode arrays in the brain is used. Each electrode records the
activity of a single neuron. A system of computers processes the signals,
decoding the patient's intent. This neural prosthesis therefore ferries signals from
the brains motor cortex to a computer, whose cables are attached to robotic
limbs. The new technology allows more than just patients that have lost limbs to
find help and regain the abilities that they used to have.

Collins, Katie. "Bionic Hand Can Feed Physical Sensations Directly to the Brain."
WIRED UK. N.p., 14 Sept. 2015. Web. 31 Oct. 2016.
New developments have been made so that prosthetic limbs arent just a robotic
arm that can perform functions. This new prosthetic arm can actually create
signals that flow to the brain of its user, to give a sense of feel. The new
advancement will leave the consumer much more satisfied and will bring in a
much larger group of amputee patients to the biomedical engineering world. Most
patients that have been amputated want to be able to feel again. They want to
know what its like to have feeling in their arm again. As well as the extreme
progress with the appearance and technology of prosthetics, a new development
of 3D printed limbs have been implemented. This kind of development greatly
decreases the overall costs of prosthetics, which will hopefully make it much
more affordable for patients.