Restoration of Hand and Arm Function by Functional Neuromuscular Stimulation, Quarterly Progress ...

Contract abstract
The overall goal of this contract is to provide virtually all individuals with a cervical level spinal cord injury, regardless of injury level and extent, with the opportunity to gain additional useful function through the use of FNS and complementary surgical techniques. Specifically, we will expand our applications to include individuals with high tetraplegia (C1-C4), low tetraplegia (C7), and incomplete injuries. We will also extend and enhance the performance provided to the existing C5-C6 group by using improved electrode technology for some muscles and by combining several upper extremity functions into a single neuroprosthesis. The new technologies that we will develop and implement in this proposal are: the use of nerve cuffs for complete activation in high tetraplegia, the use of current steering in nerve cuffs, imaging-based assessment of maximum muscle forces, denervation, and volume activated by electrodes, multiple degree-of-freedom control, the use of dual implants, new neurotization surgeries for the reversal of denervation, new muscle transfer surgeries for high tetraplegia, and an improved forward dynamic model of the shoulder and elbow. During this contract period, all proposed neuroprostheses will come to fruition as clinically deployed and fully evaluated demonstrations.

Restoration of Hand and Arm Function by Functional Neuromuscular Stimulation
Quarterly Progress Report N01-NS-1-2333
Period covered: July 1, 2005 to September 30, 2005
Robert F. Kirsch, Ph.D, Principal Investigator
31 page, OCR-Quality pdf 4.6 MB
2005-11

RAR File-Size: 3.92 MB