NEMESIS - NEEurocontrolled MEchatronic prostheSIS
Project objectivesThe goal of the NEMESIS project is to develop and test a neuro-controlled prosthetic hand system that uses a natural neural pathway and increases the acceptability of the artificial limb. To this end, invasive neural interfaces will be used, directly connected to the peripheral nervous system (PNS), capable of providing a "physiological" condition in which the efferent and afferent fibers, previously connected to the natural hand, can regain their role in controlling of the prosthetic limb. We therefore start from wanting to extend and verify studies carried out by some project partners. In these studies it was highlighted how some activities performed by the hand (such as different types of grip or movements of the singor fingers) can be decoded through the combined analysis of movement-related signals acquired simultaneously from intra-neural electrodes implanted in the PNS. Therefore, within the project a system will be developed consisting of i) intra-neural electrodes able to interface selectively with the PNS; ii) electronics for recording, processing and stimulating; iii) an artificial prosthetic hand; iv) coding and decoding algorithms of the electroneurographic signal (ENG) able to develop a bidirectional connection between the nervous system and the artificial device. NEMESIS represents the first project that seeks to carry out extensive clinical trials in order to evaluate the usability and efficacy of a neuro-controlled prosthetic hand. The invasive neural interfaces, implanted in appropriate sites within the patient's stump, have the purpose of restoring the bidirectional connection between the external prosthetic system and the nervous system. Within the project, the intra-fascicular electrodes TIME (Transverse, Intrafascicular Multichannel Electrode) will be implanted. The prosthetic hand will then be controlled by recording the efferent motor signal and will itself provide sensory feedback to the patient through stimulation of pre-selected nerves. The information returned to the patient will be acquired through tactile and position sensors integrated in the prosthesis. In the experimental phase, particular attention will be paid to the evaluation of performance during activities of daily living. Therefore, the subject's ability to use the developed prosthetic system during different tasks will be tested. Furthermore, the sensory information provided to the user will be analyzed in order to identify which of them will favor an improvement in its performance. In order to evaluate the ability of the prosthetic system to perform a series of functional tasks, the feasibility of different bio-inspired control schemes and of different levels of distributed control between low and high level will be tested. Finally, various neuro-imaging techniques will be useding to understand how the central nervous system (CNS) changes its activity during the use of the neuro-controlled prosthesis. |
Start and end date |
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2012 - 2015 |
Project Manager |
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Prof. Eugenio Guglielmelli |
Coordinating institution of the project |
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IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana |
Other Institutions involved |
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Funding source(s). |
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Ministry of Health - Call for Young Researchers 2009 |