Fabrizio Vedati closes his eyes and focuses on the place where he feels the phantom pain.
He lost his right hand in an accident 25 years ago. He now sits in the lab of Jonathan Moheim and a research team at EPFL in Geneva.
Nerves: Points are marked on Veedati’s arm. Photo: REUTERS/Dennis Balibus
Fabrizio Vedati hasn’t felt cold or hot in his right hand for a quarter of a century, but he’s now hopeful that new advanced prosthetics will give him feeling back, according to Reuters, citing Science.
The 59-year-old is among 27 amputees taking part in a research project at the École polytechnique fédérale (EPFL).
Electrodes: These electrodes must react to temperature differences and affect nerves in the trunk. Photo: REUTERS/Dennis Balibus
The new technology allows patients to feel the temperatures of objects they touch with the prosthesis. They may be called water, or oven heat.
“The first time I participated, I felt like I had rediscovered the sensitivity of the phantom hand,” says Vedati.
A “phantom hand” is a type of feeling in the amputated hand. Sensation shoots from nerve endings in the remaining trunk, and the patient feels as if the sensation is coming from a non-existent part of the body.
Point: Fabrizio Vidati points to the prosthesis as he feels the stimulation in the phantom hand. Photo: REUTERS/Dennis Balibus
Vedati stimulates the nerve endings in the stump of his arm and points to where he feels something on his prosthetic hand in front of him.
Tests show that patients are able to distinguish whether they are touching plastic, glass or copper.
– Most amputees are able to feel hot and cold in the phantom hand, says Professor Silvestro Messira from EPFL.
The study was led by Suleiman Shukr. Photo: REUTERS/Dennis Balibus
The technology has been tested for more than two years. The main advantage is that it does not require surgery like an implant, but can be worn outside the skin and used with a normal prosthesis.
We think a lot of people would enjoy having a stronger attachment to their body parts. It may also give them the ability to touch their loved ones in a more natural way, says Suleiman Shakur, a senior researcher and neuroscientist at EPFL.
The next step is testing on a larger scale, as well as combining it with other biotechnological developments.
Fabrizio Vedati hopes that technology will lead to an easier daily life for amputees. Photo: REUTERS/Dennis Balibus
– This experience gives me hope for more advanced prosthetics in the future, says Vedati.
He believes technology can make it easier for those who have lost their hands to cook or perform other daily tasks.
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