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Paralyzed woman controls robot with her mind

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  • Description

    Implant in patient sends brain signals to computer

  • Duration 3:23
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Scientists say the women in this video the woman in this video is controlling the robot with her mind -- look look at it more closely the researchers are saying now.

That she had a stroke and that stroke left -- virtually paralyzed from the neck down she has been for fifteen years.

So they inserted a tiny implant just below her skull.

As the doctors put it it record signals from a brain.

Then sends them to a computer and the computer feeds those signals the robot all happens you know in the blink of -- not.

Of course the technologies in the very early stages but the benefits could be life changing obviously for example watch this.

You can see the robotic arm lift that bottle of coffee.

So the woman can take a set see that.

She's doing that with her brain decide to say her brain did all the work.

The journal nature released its new video and joining us now is one of the scientists.

Behind that project doctor -- -- berg is whether -- Doctor -- -- is an engineering professor at brown university in a critical care neurologist.

At Massachusetts General Hospital doctor congratulations how in the world did you get this done.

I -- thanks very much.

Just as you describe -- there were two participants.

This study that were reporting today.

Both of whom have are unable to move their hands they no functional use of their arms are their legs and -- both are unable to speak.

They both and enrolled in our -- trial of what we called the brain gate neural interface system.

And they had -- -- you described a small chip but little baby aspirin sized array of electrodes.

-- ratings in the top of the brain -- a part of the brain called the motor cortex it's very important for the control of the arm in the hands.

Those little electrodes -- -- little -- re record the neural signals the brain activity from that little area bringing.

Of cortex send it down for some wires to a little plug or -- pedestal.

That -- up above the skull.

That then goes to some computers and the job of those computers -- certain.

That is to turn the thoughts -- the intended movement about participant.

And the movement for in this paper of of a robotic arm it's very Samantha and Serena and doctor Bombay emergency come right away I mean.

That your brain could could translate to computer and you -- how long does that process take if I think move the Coke how long before the -- moves.

So further for this to work it has to happen.

Nearly instantaneously and and -- matter of what we would measure and intends or maybe a hundred or so milliseconds a fraction of a second.

My god what a life change -- how long we've been working on the sort of thing.

All this research really is that benefits from more than forty years of publicly funded research to get to this point.

Or we can begin to translate research into a device that we hope in the future will help people with paralysis.

Make hopefully help people with -- loss as well and ultimately the real dream for the research.

It's a one day reconnect to bringing to -- To bring those signals out of the bring back down to the armed to stimulate the nerves that move that arm and to allow somebody -- the use their only need to pick up that coffee cup again.

Is it really is almost hocus pocus to those of us who who can't begin to fathom how you could do such a thing doctor congratulations and thank you so much for.

For all that you the rest of Mass.

General are doing force thank you.

-- -- thanks so much paralyzed for decades.

And all of a sudden thanks to this publicly funded work.

Publicly funded and I.

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