Using a device called the Neurobridge, a man who was once
paralyzed, 23-year old Ian Burkhart, can move again using his own thoughts. The
Neurobridge is an electronic neural bypass for spinal cord injuries and it is
able to reconnect the brain directly with the muscles. This allows for a person
to be able to voluntarily and functionally control the paralyzed limb. The
Neurobridge technology combines algorithms that are able to learn and decode a
user’s brain activity. They have a high-definition muscle simulation sleeve
that translates neural impulses from the brain to transmit new signals to the
paralyzed limb and in this way, brain signals are able to bypass the injured
spinal cord and a paralyzed hand in Burkhart’s case can move again.
I find it amazing how a paralyzed person can move again with
his or her own thoughts using this device called the Neurobridge! It is such a
big stride in advances in technology to help those people. I don’t know anyone
personally that has paralyzed limbs, but I’ve seen articles of people who
become paralyzed after car accidents as well as in a couple Japanese dramas
I’ve watched before. Through watching shows with people who have been paralyzed
and try to recover from it, I have a grasp on how painful it is to suddenly not
be able to move of your own free will and having to depend on other people to
help you with things you could once do on your own on a daily basis. The fact
that technology is moving forward and helping paralyzed people move again by
bypassing the spinal cord is such great news because of how many people in the
world this device would be able to help to recover from being paralyzed. They
can then be able to move of their own free will again.
In the article, they also mentioned how the technology can
one day help patients affected by various brain and spinal cord injuries such
as strokes and traumatic brain injuries. This really catches my attention
because my Grandpa has had a stroke before and he can’t walk very well or speak
very well anymore. With advances in this technology, the Neurobridge, can give
way to even more advances in technology that can help even more people like my
Grandpa.
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