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| Thorvaldur Ingvarsson, Ossur's director of research and development |
Amid growing interest from med tech companies in innovative bionic devices, an Icelandic orthopedics company is developing tiny implanted myoelectric sensors (IMES) that allow patients to control prosthetic limbs with their minds.
Reykjavik, Iceland-based Ossur successfully implanted the 5-millimeter sensors in the muscle tissue of two amputees, triggering movement in the prosthesis through a receiver, Reuters reports. Signals are sent from the brain to the muscles, and sensors in the muscles pick up on the signals and move into the prosthetics, reacting to the brain's messages, Thorvaldur Ingvarsson, Ossur's director of research and development, told the news outlet. One of the patients outfitted with the implants said the device allowed him to control his bionic leg and foot almost instantly.
The company's technology is already compatible with its bionic devices, which automatically adjust to the user's gait, speed and ground terrain. And Ossur's sensors provide an "upgrade" for patients, offering an advantage over other mind-controlled sensors. Its device is the first to use an implanted sensor inside a patient's body rather than transplanting muscle tissue and repurposing it, the company told Reuters. If all goes to plan, Ossur hopes to roll out its mind-controlled sensor system in three to 5 years. Meanwhile, the company will run clinical trials to continue to evaluate the technology in patients.
"Our ultimate goal is to replace the function of the lost limb, and we've been doing so step-by-step and doing very well," Ingvarsson said, as quoted by Reuters. "However, as our technology moves on--you have sensors for muscles, you're able to replace function by the new mind-controlled prosthetics--the next step might be to get sensing from the environment so you have a feedback loop."
But Ossur is not the only med tech company hopping on the bionic bandwagon. Second Sight Medical ($EYES) is making progress with its bionic eye, planning to launch human clinical trials for the device in early 2017. Yokneam, Israel-based ReWalk Robotics ($RWLK) is also hard at work on its robotic exoskeleton system, although the company hit some stumbling blocks recently after making its NASDAQ debut.
- read the Reuters story