From: Subject: Brain chips could help paralysed patients - Telegraph Date: Mon, 5 Jul 2010 16:50:21 +0100 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/related; type="text/html"; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_00A8_01CB1C62.2835D360" X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.5931 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_00A8_01CB1C62.2835D360 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7870899/Brain-chips-could-help-paralysed-patients.html Brain chips could = help paralysed patients - Telegraph

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Brain chips could help paralysed patients

Paralysed patients could soon use implanted brain transmitters to = operate=20 bionic limbs as part of a project by British researchers.

Published: 2:45AM BST 04 Jul 2010

Engineers are developing the technology, which employs tiny = microchips to=20 sense nerve messages, decode the signals, and turn thought into = movement.=20

They hope within five years to be offering patients with damaged = spinal cords=20 robotic devices that will enable them to move their arms or legs at = will.=20

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Spinal cord injuries cause paralysis by severing the connection = between brain=20 and limb.

Professor Rodrigo Quian Quiroga, heading a University of Leicester = team=20 working on the project, explained that such patients retain the ability = to=20 ''think'' commands from the brain.

He told The Engineer magazine: ''The guy can see the object he wants = to=20 reach, the guy can have the intention to reach to the object, the brain = can send=20 a command to the arm - 'reach for this cup of tea' - but the signal gets = broken=20 at the level of the spinal cord.

''If we can get the signals from these neurons and interpret them = with what=20 is called decoding algorithms, then we can move a robot device placed on = the=20 paralysed arm.''

Much of the technology is already available, he pointed out. = Scientists have=20 demonstrated ''mind-reading'' chips implanted into the brains of monkeys = that=20 can operate robot arms or move a cursor on a computer screen.

However none of these systems has involved wireless technology. = Instead, a=20 wire has been inserted through a hole drilled in the animal's skull. =

Transmitting information wirelessly from a brain chip is much more = difficult.=20 A single electrode may produce 30,000 data points, or items of = information, per=20 second, and the chip might contain hundreds of electrodes.

''It's a huge amount of data, so the bandwidth won't be enough,'' = said Prof=20 Quian Quiroga. ''We're trying to do some basic processing on the chip to = reduce=20 the bandwidth. So instead of 30,000 data points per second, maybe we'll = be=20 sending 100 data points per second, or 1,000.''

A more ambitious idea is not to use robotic devices but to replace = the broken=20 connection to the limb with an artificial link.

The brain chip would then send signals to an implanted stimulator in = the=20 spinal cord. This would generate electrical impulses to make muscles = contract=20 and move paralysed limbs.

But the scientists see a robotic system as more practical in the = short term.=20

The project, part of a =A31 million Government-sponsored research = programme,=20 also involves other groups from the University of Newcastle and Imperial = College=20 London.

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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7870899/Br= ain-chips-could-help-paralysed-patients.html

Health=20 News

Brain chips could help paralysed patients

Paralysed patients could soon use implanted brain transmitters to = operate=20 bionic limbs as part of a project by British researchers.

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Patients=20 crippled by NHS receive =A31.2bn

NHS=20 care home refunds are the tip of the iceberg, leading lawyer = warns

AstraZenec= a=20 joins anti-cancer project

Botox=20 allows paralysed man to walk again after 20 years

= 'Right=20 to die' row as family accuse hospital of 'wasting' liver on suicidal=20 father

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