Object Discrimination With an Artificial Hand Using Electrical Stimulation of Peripheral Tactile and Proprioceptive Pathways With Intrafascicular Electrodes

• Published in: IEEE transactions on neural systems and rehabilitation engineering Vol. 19; no. 5; pp. 483 - 489
• Main Authors: Horch, Kenneth, Meek, Sanford, Taylor, Tyson G., Hutchinson, Douglas T.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States IEEE 01.10.2011; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Adult; Amputation; Amputee; Amputees; Artificial Limbs; Discrimination (Psychology) - physiology; Electric Stimulation; Electrodes; Electrodes, Implanted; Electromyography; Feedback; Fingers; Fingers - physiology; Hand - physiology; Humans; intrafascicular electrodes; Male; Median Nerve - physiology; Nerve stimulation; Neural Pathways - physiology; Object recognition; Peripheral Nerves - physiology; Phantom Limb; proprioception; Proprioception - physiology; Prosthetic hand; prosthetic limb; touch; Touch - physiology; Ulnar Nerve - physiology
• ISSN: 1534-4320; 1558-0210; 1558-0210
• DOI: 10.1109/TNSRE.2011.2162635

Trans-radial amputee subjects were implanted with intrafascicular electrodes in the stumps of the median and ulnar nerves. Electrical stimulation through these electrodes was used to provide sensations of touch and finger position referred to the amputated hand. Two subjects were asked to identify different objects as to size and stiffness by manipulating them with a myo-electric hand without visual or auditory cues. Both subjects were provided with information about contact force with the objects via tactile sensations referred to their phantom hands. One subject, who was provided with information about finger position in the prosthetic hand via a different tactile sensation referred to his phantom hand, was unable to correctly identify the objects. The other subject, who received information about finger position via a proprioceptive sensation referred to his phantom hand, correctly identified the objects at a level statistically significantly above chance performance.