Neuroprosthetics and the Bionic Human

Abstract

Historically, certain conditions have been thought of as untreatable and incurable, such as blindness and paralysis. As a result, any cases of recovery from these conditions were viewed as miraculous and unexplainable. It has not been until recently that mechanisms for many of these conditions have been extensively studied so that treatments have become not only possible, but appear increasingly inevitable. Through detailed research and experimentation, scientists and engineers have been able to develop treatments for these injuries previously thought to be untreatable. For example, the development of artificial limb interfaces has enabled motion [1] and facilitated sensation [2] in patients with spinal cord injury, while the development of spherical artificial eyes has the potential ability to give sight to the blind [3]. These treatments, which combine natural neuronal processing with prosthetic devices, are referred to as neuroprostheses. Although research for these devices is still ongoing, early results are promising, and may soon give rise to permanent solutions for these conditions.