This entry was posted on Friday, July 31st, 2009 at 10:45 pm and is filed under Gadget Blog . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
July 31, 2009
Researchers at the University of Utah have developed a new, more precise way of placing microelectrodes on the surface of the brain to enable patients to turn thoughts into action. Led by Bradley Greger, a professor of bioengineering, the “Brain Carpet” as it’s called, represents a “modest advance” in techniques already in use. The Brain Carpet makes use of smaller microelectrodes, and also employs many more than are usually used. The method involves sawing off the skull of the patient, then placing 32 electrodes about 2mm apart on the surface of the brain. Though they’ve conducted tests on just a handful of patients — all epileptics — the technique, they believe could also be used to help people control their prosthetic limbs much more effectively. The electrodes allow detection of the electric signals in the brain which control arm and hand movements. In the tests, patients have successfully controlled a cursor on a computer screen following the operation, and they see applications for brain-machine interface devices in the future. There’s no word on when the Brain Carpet will move from the research to reality phase, but the group’s findings have just recently appeared in the journal Neurosurgical Focus.
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Brain Carpet microelectrodes could help translate thoughts into actions more effectively originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 20:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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