New Development in Artificial Organ and Bionics Market: Researchers bringforth Initial Research that could Help Reduce Phantom Pain within Patients with Prosthetic Hands
- Analysis
- 04-March-2022
Phantom pain is a condition that exists in patients with ionic prosthetic hands. The pain associated with the condition can be unbearable at times, thus hampering the quality of life of its users.
A research team has completed the initial step of their investigation into a person's ability to detect bionic prosthetic hands. The research also includes phantom pain-relieving techniques. Researchers successfully implanted electrodes in the peripheral nerves of patients. The findings are highly relevant for Artificial Organ and Bionics Market as evidence showed a substantial decrease in phantom pain.
The team executed a series of sensorimotor tests. They were primarily a combination of haptic communication and invasive and noninvasive electrostimulation. Researchers realized they could achieve a sustained reduction of patients' phantom pain.
Motorica is the company that has brought forth the present research. It is a Russian high-tech firm that specializes in arm prostheses.
The feasibility of conducting invasive neurophysiological investigations within household infrastructure and obtaining positive results was proven in this study. The findings will aid in the medical dissemination of innovative neurotechnological treatments for the treatment of phantom pain. It will help patients become accustomed to their prosthetic limbs by replicating tactile sensations as if they were their natural limbs.
The scientists used a series of small electrical impulses given through an electrode near the targeted peripheral nerve as part of their phantom pain control technique. During the whole trial, except for periods of sensorimotor studies, a portable wearable device delivered a sequence of impulses. Patients kept a journal of their feelings and experiences in order to track the phantom pain progress in the future.
The study's important tasks included mapping the phantom limb's sensitivity and selecting stimulation parameters to simulate the sensation of touch along with contraction of the phantom limb. Further, performing tests in conjunction with haptic communication in the form of electrostimulation were the main stages of testing the prosthesis' sensory feedback.
The team's goal was to develop a technical hypothesis. It revolved around the possibility that a sensory response can be created with intrusive peripheral nervous system stimulation. This allowed the person to feel how they picked up an object and the approximate position of the hand's fingers.
Researchers showed that it's both technologically and physiologically doable, which opens up a lot of doors for future research.
They were able to reduce phantom pain in both patients and get two forms of experience: pressure sensation and sensory perception. In other words, the patient could sense if his prosthesis was closed or open and whether he was holding something in it. Perhaps a dozen teams are working on this subject around the world. However, no one has yet produced a viable answer. The Russian team aims to accelerate. We are currently assessing the findings and developing research processes for the spring of 2022.
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