Implant allows patients with paralysis to walk and swim
An implant that uses precise electrical stimulation to treat paralysis has reached a new milestone in its development.
The system was developed in Switzerland by EPFL’s Prof. Grégoire Courtine, and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) neuroscientist Prof. Jocelyne Bloch. The Engineer reported on the innovation in 2018, when it first enabled a patient with paralysis caused by a partial spinal cord injury to get up from his wheelchair and walk.
Now, the team has revealed enhancements to the system through more sophisticated implants controlled by artificial intelligence (AI) software.
The implants can simulate the region of the spinal cord that activates the trunk and leg muscles. Thanks to the new technology, described this week in Nature Medicine, Courtine said that three patients with complete spinal cord injury were able to stand, walk, pedal, swim and control their torso movements in just one day after implants were activated.
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