The researchers have developed a tiny, implantable chip that will enable people with paraplegia to exercise their paralysed leg muscles. The tiny implantable chip is equal to the size of a child’s fingernail and is small enough to be implanted into the spinal canal where it will work to arouse muscles.
The similar efforts to encourage muscle stimulation have developed earlier but it has been too large to implant. At present electrical stimulation of nerve roots in the spinal canal can be carried out using implanted electrodes and an implanted stimulator connected by a cable.
But in this latest research for the first time they combine the electrodes and muscle stimulator in one unit so that more nerves can be encouraged and better function can be attained. The new unit by researchers from University College London is smaller than a fingernail. The new implants have a numeral of other potential uses in muscle rehabilitation.
The device is known by the name of Active Book because they slip around spinal nerves like the pages of a book. They bring electrical impulses straightly to the spine from onboard electronics, dissimilar to existing externally-operated devices that apply the impulses to the skin.
The project leader Prof Andreas Demosthenous from the University College London explained that the work has the prospective to arouse more groups of muscle than is presently possible with existing technology because a number of these devices can be implanted into the spinal canal.
Stimulation of more groups of muscle means users can perform sufficient movement to perform controlled exercise like cycling or rowing. The devices could also be used to arouse bladder muscles to help conquer incontinence and stimulating nerves to improve bowel capacity and suppress spasms, added Prof Demosthenous.