First modification:
An hour after surgery, patients could already take their first steps with the help of a harness; days later they managed to ride a bicycle or even swim outdoors. The training was necessary also because his muscles were atrophied from lack of use.
The experts performed a four-hour surgical intervention in which they implanted 16 electrodes directly into the spinal cord of the patients. These artifacts send signals from the sides of the spine, which allows them to be focused and activate very specific regions of the spinal cord.
In turn, the electrodes are connected to a system with artificial intelligence that emits signals to stimulate individual nerves that control muscle movement in the trunk and legs, simulating the orders that the brain would give to walk, stand up or sit down.
“In a healthy person, there is a message that goes from the brain through the spinal cord and activates the set of motoneurons that, in turn, activate certain muscles. It is something that we do not even think about, it comes automatically and we can talk or do other things while we walk”, says Professor Jocelyne Bloch, neurosurgeon at the University Hospital of Lausanne
For his part, Grégoire Courtine, a scientist at the Polytechnic School of Lausanne, explains that “in this study, we use specifically designed technology, which means that each electrode is precisely positioned to activate the entire region that involves the movement control of the trunk and the legs”.
These people had lost all movement and sensation in their lower extremities due to the complete severing of the spinal cord. One of the keys to this study is that for the first time the electrodes and cables connected to the beneficiaries were manufactured specifically taking into account the particular injuries of each participant, since previously electrodes designed to treat pain were used.
“With this technology, walking is immediate, movement is immediate”
An hour after surgery, patients could already take their first steps with the help of a harness; over time, they managed to ride a bicycle or even swim outdoors.
“At first it wasn’t very easy because they needed to support their weight and understand what was going on, but they were able to use their legs right away and take steps. The more they trained, the muscles began to develop and the movement became more fluid. With this technology, walking is immediate, the movement is immediate, but you have to understand how it is done and it gets better and better, the body gets used to it”, explained Bloch.
It is key to understand that the electrodes are connected to an artificial intelligence system, that is, they can be controlled by a device such as a cell phone. From this tool, the signal or order to be given to carry out a certain activity is programmed. In addition, the software adapts to the anatomy of each patient.
The scientists created a technology company called Onward Medical, established in the Netherlands and, with the system they developed, they hope that by 2023 a clinical trial can be carried out with between 70 and 100 patients, mainly in the United States.
First modification:
An hour after surgery, patients could already take their first steps with the help of a harness; days later they managed to ride a bicycle or even swim outdoors. The training was necessary also because his muscles were atrophied from lack of use.
The experts performed a four-hour surgical intervention in which they implanted 16 electrodes directly into the spinal cord of the patients. These artifacts send signals from the sides of the spine, which allows them to be focused and activate very specific regions of the spinal cord.
In turn, the electrodes are connected to a system with artificial intelligence that emits signals to stimulate individual nerves that control muscle movement in the trunk and legs, simulating the orders that the brain would give to walk, stand up or sit down.
“In a healthy person, there is a message that goes from the brain through the spinal cord and activates the set of motoneurons that, in turn, activate certain muscles. It is something that we do not even think about, it comes automatically and we can talk or do other things while we walk”, says Professor Jocelyne Bloch, neurosurgeon at the University Hospital of Lausanne
For his part, Grégoire Courtine, a scientist at the Polytechnic School of Lausanne, explains that “in this study, we use specifically designed technology, which means that each electrode is precisely positioned to activate the entire region that involves the movement control of the trunk and the legs”.
These people had lost all movement and sensation in their lower extremities due to the complete severing of the spinal cord. One of the keys to this study is that for the first time the electrodes and cables connected to the beneficiaries were manufactured specifically taking into account the particular injuries of each participant, since previously electrodes designed to treat pain were used.
“With this technology, walking is immediate, movement is immediate”
An hour after surgery, patients could already take their first steps with the help of a harness; over time, they managed to ride a bicycle or even swim outdoors.
“At first it wasn’t very easy because they needed to support their weight and understand what was going on, but they were able to use their legs right away and take steps. The more they trained, the muscles began to develop and the movement became more fluid. With this technology, walking is immediate, the movement is immediate, but you have to understand how it is done and it gets better and better, the body gets used to it”, explained Bloch.
It is key to understand that the electrodes are connected to an artificial intelligence system, that is, they can be controlled by a device such as a cell phone. From this tool, the signal or order to be given to carry out a certain activity is programmed. In addition, the software adapts to the anatomy of each patient.
The scientists created a technology company called Onward Medical, established in the Netherlands and, with the system they developed, they hope that by 2023 a clinical trial can be carried out with between 70 and 100 patients, mainly in the United States.
First modification:
An hour after surgery, patients could already take their first steps with the help of a harness; days later they managed to ride a bicycle or even swim outdoors. The training was necessary also because his muscles were atrophied from lack of use.
The experts performed a four-hour surgical intervention in which they implanted 16 electrodes directly into the spinal cord of the patients. These artifacts send signals from the sides of the spine, which allows them to be focused and activate very specific regions of the spinal cord.
In turn, the electrodes are connected to a system with artificial intelligence that emits signals to stimulate individual nerves that control muscle movement in the trunk and legs, simulating the orders that the brain would give to walk, stand up or sit down.
“In a healthy person, there is a message that goes from the brain through the spinal cord and activates the set of motoneurons that, in turn, activate certain muscles. It is something that we do not even think about, it comes automatically and we can talk or do other things while we walk”, says Professor Jocelyne Bloch, neurosurgeon at the University Hospital of Lausanne
For his part, Grégoire Courtine, a scientist at the Polytechnic School of Lausanne, explains that “in this study, we use specifically designed technology, which means that each electrode is precisely positioned to activate the entire region that involves the movement control of the trunk and the legs”.
These people had lost all movement and sensation in their lower extremities due to the complete severing of the spinal cord. One of the keys to this study is that for the first time the electrodes and cables connected to the beneficiaries were manufactured specifically taking into account the particular injuries of each participant, since previously electrodes designed to treat pain were used.
“With this technology, walking is immediate, movement is immediate”
An hour after surgery, patients could already take their first steps with the help of a harness; over time, they managed to ride a bicycle or even swim outdoors.
“At first it wasn’t very easy because they needed to support their weight and understand what was going on, but they were able to use their legs right away and take steps. The more they trained, the muscles began to develop and the movement became more fluid. With this technology, walking is immediate, the movement is immediate, but you have to understand how it is done and it gets better and better, the body gets used to it”, explained Bloch.
It is key to understand that the electrodes are connected to an artificial intelligence system, that is, they can be controlled by a device such as a cell phone. From this tool, the signal or order to be given to carry out a certain activity is programmed. In addition, the software adapts to the anatomy of each patient.
The scientists created a technology company called Onward Medical, established in the Netherlands and, with the system they developed, they hope that by 2023 a clinical trial can be carried out with between 70 and 100 patients, mainly in the United States.
First modification:
An hour after surgery, patients could already take their first steps with the help of a harness; days later they managed to ride a bicycle or even swim outdoors. The training was necessary also because his muscles were atrophied from lack of use.
The experts performed a four-hour surgical intervention in which they implanted 16 electrodes directly into the spinal cord of the patients. These artifacts send signals from the sides of the spine, which allows them to be focused and activate very specific regions of the spinal cord.
In turn, the electrodes are connected to a system with artificial intelligence that emits signals to stimulate individual nerves that control muscle movement in the trunk and legs, simulating the orders that the brain would give to walk, stand up or sit down.
“In a healthy person, there is a message that goes from the brain through the spinal cord and activates the set of motoneurons that, in turn, activate certain muscles. It is something that we do not even think about, it comes automatically and we can talk or do other things while we walk”, says Professor Jocelyne Bloch, neurosurgeon at the University Hospital of Lausanne
For his part, Grégoire Courtine, a scientist at the Polytechnic School of Lausanne, explains that “in this study, we use specifically designed technology, which means that each electrode is precisely positioned to activate the entire region that involves the movement control of the trunk and the legs”.
These people had lost all movement and sensation in their lower extremities due to the complete severing of the spinal cord. One of the keys to this study is that for the first time the electrodes and cables connected to the beneficiaries were manufactured specifically taking into account the particular injuries of each participant, since previously electrodes designed to treat pain were used.
“With this technology, walking is immediate, movement is immediate”
An hour after surgery, patients could already take their first steps with the help of a harness; over time, they managed to ride a bicycle or even swim outdoors.
“At first it wasn’t very easy because they needed to support their weight and understand what was going on, but they were able to use their legs right away and take steps. The more they trained, the muscles began to develop and the movement became more fluid. With this technology, walking is immediate, the movement is immediate, but you have to understand how it is done and it gets better and better, the body gets used to it”, explained Bloch.
It is key to understand that the electrodes are connected to an artificial intelligence system, that is, they can be controlled by a device such as a cell phone. From this tool, the signal or order to be given to carry out a certain activity is programmed. In addition, the software adapts to the anatomy of each patient.
The scientists created a technology company called Onward Medical, established in the Netherlands and, with the system they developed, they hope that by 2023 a clinical trial can be carried out with between 70 and 100 patients, mainly in the United States.