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Scientists are already testing unique devices that discover there are immense prospects for a person.
– Cybermedicine is the introduction of various devices that help correct physical disabilities, fight serious illnesses and their consequences, in a word – extend the normal, full life as much as possible, – explains Head of the Laboratory of the Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology RAS, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor Alexander Frolov.
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Leading scientist is studying the structure of the brain on level of neurons, the development of brain-computer interfaces and their use for the rehabilitation of patients after injuries and diseases. Within the framework of the Scientific Lecture Hall – 2045, which takes place in Moscow, expert spoke about the latest achievements in the field cybermedicines in Russia and other countries, as well as exciting the prospects that open to humanity.
“SEE THE BRAIN”
– Prosthetics operations are already widely used all over the world. kidney: devices that replace these organs may work in the human body is up to 40 years old, the scientist reminds. – from 2 to 7 years artificial heart is capable of supporting human life. Actively lung and liver prostheses are being developed. True, success is here so far. not so impressive: the main respiratory organ “lives” no more than 6 months, and the liver works only 4 days. But this is only the beginning.
At the same time, cybermedicine managed to do something that strikes imagination and to many still seems to be science fiction: prosthetics of the most complex system of organs of vision.
As you know, often people go blind due to the death of retinal cells is the shell of the eye that perceives the image and converts to nerve impulses. They are transmitted to the brain, decipher there, and we get the usual visual images objects – we see them. For those who have lost such an opportunity because of injury or illness, american scientist and ophthalmologist William Dobelle from New York created a unique device.
– A man puts on glasses in which a small a television camera, and the optical signal from it enters the electrochip, implanted in the visual cortex of the brain on the back of the head, – Alexander explains Frolov. – The chip consists of electrodes, when excited flashes of light – phosphenes (you can imagine them, if slightly press on the closed eye). So the visual picture, coming from a camera is converted to a specific set light flashes. At first they seem chaotic to man and messy, but as you train and use in everyday life the brain begins to recognize and get used to the fact that each subject this or that model of flashes corresponds.
“About 20 operations were performed, they were successful, one of the patient was even able to drive a car, ”says the professor Frolov. In 2004, Dr. Dobelle, who founded his institute in New York died, however his colleagues in the United States and other countries continue research so that blind people can get more full-fledged images of the world.
HOW THE FORCE OF THOUGHT MANAGES THE ROBOT
In the laboratory of Alexander Frolov conducted an experiment: on the head an encephalographic grid is put on a person that reads electrical signals of the brain and transmits for recognition in a computer. Subject is placed in front of the screen, displayed on the monitor purpose and offer to bring the cursor to it … by the power of thought.
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“When we imagine a certain movement, in the brain there is a corresponding electric signal, – explains Professor. – If you catch this signal and decrypt it using computer, you can transfer the necessary command to any an external device and thus control it. ”
A similar algorithm was used in practice by one of the pioneers neurocybernetics, professor John Donahue from Brown University (USA). Two patients, a 58-year-old woman paralyzed for more than 15 years ago, and to a 66-year-old man completely immobilized after stroke, implanted neurochips in the motor part of the cerebral cortex brain. The signals from the brain were sent to a computer, processed and passed to the manipulator – the robot in the form of a hand.
Patients needed to imagine that they were moving artificial hand in the right direction. Woman trained for 4 days and in the end she was able to independently take a robot arm and bring it to herself thermos with coffee. The man managed to master the prosthesis faster: soon he was able, by the power of thought, to control the manipulator so that the cyber fingers grabbed and squeezed a foam ball.
“We’re close to paralyzing an opportunity perform routine actions that are performed in everyday life billions of people without thinking about how it works, “- said in an interview with Dr. Donahue. Now scientists working to create an artificial arm with a faster and flexible management.
PROSTHESIS CAN “FEEL”
– Cyber prosthetics is developing all over the world for those with arms or legs are amputated, ”continues Alexander Frolov. One of the most striking examples are the South African runner Oscar Pistorius. Having prostheses instead of both legs, he became the winner of many Paralympic games and even successfully competed with healthy athletes.
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Moreover, for several years Pistorius was forbidden participate in regular runs on the pretext that unique Dentures give advantages over human legs. But then the ban was lifted (Pistorius is now charged with murder girlfriends, fashion models, a trial is going on over him).
The famous cyborg man came to Russia last year Nigel Ekland At a press conference, he showed reporters how artfully controlled by a bionic prosthesis replacing from the elbow amputated right hand. Nigel fully service himself in everyday life: cooks, drives a car, prints on a computer.
“All I have to do is imagine, say I I clamp the ball. The signal from the brain enters the muscle of the stump, that contracts and transmits momentum to the prosthesis motor. Then the cyber fingers are bending, and I can take something, “- explains Ekland.
Now scientists are entering the next stage: creating a system, which will transmit signals not only from the brain to the external device, but also in the opposite direction. That is, through a computer the brain can recognize the properties of the objects it touches prosthesis. In fact, a person will learn to “feel” his artificial hand!
“To do this, you need to equip the system with receptors that will catch changes to the configuration of the item, receive tactile signals – all this will transmit a sensation to the brain feelings, “Alexander paints a breathtaking picture Frolov.
As a result, the management of dentures is as close to full action of human hands and feet. Highly sensitive robots can be used for complex operations in medicine, in research and other areas of our of life.
BRAIN + COMPUTER FOR RECOVERY AFTER A STROKE
The number of patients with cerebral hemorrhages is growing as we have in country and the world over. One of the worst consequences stroke – paralysis that occurs due to motor damage brain areas. In these cases, cybernetic medicine may help in rehabilitation. This is the project that the team is now engaged Professor Frolov under the auspices of the Ministry of Health funding of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (RFBR).
– It is proved that when a person imagines the movements of arms or legs, then the same parts of the brain are activated as with real movements, – says Alexander Alekseevich. During training, patients put on brain caps that read brain signals, and body parts that need to be “stirred up” are inserted into the exoskeleton – device connected to a computer and repeating outlines body.
A person is asked to imagine, say, an unclenched hand – because after a stroke the brushes are often compressed and impossible unbend yourself (this is called spasticity). Through a computer signal from the brain is transmitted to the exoskeleton worn on the arm, and the device unclenches the brush. “The importance of this procedure is that when an imaginary movement coincides with reality – even achieved with an external device in the brain occur unique plastic adjustments – processes that restore motor function, “- says the professor Frolov.
So far, this is an experimental technology in which 20 patients. Clinical studies suggest a new rehabilitation methods will last another three years. If they are confirmed efficacy in most patients, then cybernetic technology can be introduced into official Russian standards rehabilitation after a stroke.
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