2023-05-19 18:06:51
A new technology would allow amputees to feel sensations of heat or cold on their prosthesis thanks to sensors set up by Swiss and Italian researchers.
“What is particularly important is that the patients perceive the phantom thermal sensations in the same way as with their intact hand”, explained in a press release one of the researchers, according to what reported West France Friday.
The technology uses thermal electrodes, called “thermodes”, which are applied to the fingertips of the prosthesis and connected to the skin of the arm, allowing the sensations of heat or cold to be transmitted to the brain via the nervous system.
The Swiss team from the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), in partnership with Italian researchers, would have pinpointed certain areas of the arm which would be linked, in some way, to parts of the phantom limb, reported the French media.
The zones would vary, however, for each individual, the researchers would have specified in a scientific article published in the journal Science. At present, the latter would try to refine the precision of the sensations while developing a device suitable for all.
For the moment, the “MiniTouch” technology has shown conclusive results on 17 of the 27 patients evaluated.
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