Supercapacitors to result from research to link prosthetics to nervous system

The two-year research project was conducted at Surrey University and overseen by Dr Donald Highgate, co-founder of Augmented Optics, the company that commissioned the study.

Jim Heathcote, chief executive of Augmented Optics and its subsidiary, Supercapacitor Materials Ltd, explained that he and  Highgate were interested in developing a new polymer ‘with interesting electrical properties’ that could – among other applications - facilitate an ion electron interface in prosthetic limbs.

“Biological systems use ions to transmit signals to muscles through the nerves,” said Heathcote. “If a soldier loses a limb, current technology is based on electrons and the prosthetics do not link to the nervous system. An ion electron interface would mean we would be able to put a nerve contact device which links to a prosthetic, so you could have could biocompatible ionics [bionics].”

The polymers – which are based on large organic molecules composed of many repeated sub-units and bonded together to form a 3-dimensional network - were sent to Bristol University for independent assessment.