Brain implanted chips may help disabled
Over the years many researchers have worked on a brain-computer interface that works well, does not have rejection issues, and allows the brain to send messages to a computer. The idea is to put a computer interface at the point of damage so the brain can send messages and the computer can send those same messages to undamaged nerves that are beyond the damage area. Most of the experiments have failed for various reasons but there have been some successes in getting a brain-computer interface to work well. The University of Washington at Seattle has reported that it was able to use a brain-computer interface to bypass a spinal cord damage so that a limb could be moved. The experiment, if it can be reproduced over and over by other research sites, gives the disabled a chance to see a technology work for them over the next 10 years or so. This is just an experiment, and work has to be done to get the same level of control in a person while keeping the surgery procedures safe. Getting past FDA rules and testing is about a 10 year proposition, but this procedure done on moneys shows tremendous success. By using computers and wires instead of tissue, researchers get away from rejection and cancer problems that have cropped up with certain stem cell lines. Computers are constantly becoming smaller, faster and cheaper,, making it possible to do more with smaller systems so better signals are sent to muscles to give a more natural response to the electrical stimulation. (Source: Computer Weekly)
With all the different fronts working to get spinal cord injuries treatable, it is great to see success that could potentially help millions. Work outside spinal cord research has been done in the past to get computers to talk directly to the brain. Problems have cropped up in wire-cell interfaces where the cells did not live long when connected to the wiring. Considerable work has been done in this area and there are several spinal cord patients that have wiring implants that are connected to computers so the patients can do certain activities. One patient can use his brain to move a mouse cursor on a screen and to select letters to write. Other activities including moving a wheelchair by just thinking about it is presently in the works. It is just a matter of time before computers and the interfaces to the brain become sophisticated enough to move major muscle groups smoothly and safely. This would allow the quadriplegic to either move their own arm or leg, or move an artificial limb instead. Either would be a big positive change to a disabled person to be able to grab and move things around in their environment using just their brain.
The whole reasoning behind this is to give people their lives back. To be able to do daily tasks without the need of a nurse or home aide. While loved ones think of these tasks as something they must do because it is their responsibility, they steadily burn out over time and eventually find it frustrating to keep doing daily tasks over and over again. Computers can help to do these tasks and the nurse or aide can move on to other things like driving the disabled person to the store or to help them ride around the block. It would be great to be able to grab a glass to drink or a knife and fork to eat dinner by yourself without someone having to feed you. Every daily task that you give back to the disabled person is like giving them a part of their lives back that was stolen when they were injured. The mental aspect of this could dramatically increase the level of life that they live making them happier and more useful members of society. That is something truly worth working on.
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