The New Bionic Person

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2010/01/bionics/fischman-text

Bi-on-ics

“Etymology: from bi (as in “life”) + onics (as in “electronics”); the study of mechanical systems that function like living organisms or parts of living organisms” (Fischman, pg 35). The world of bionics has come a long way from the fictional Six Million Dollar Man. Today, bionic limbs, organs, and even eyes are giving people who once would have been considered permanently disabled a chance at a “normal” life.
This National Geographic article touched on a cochlear implant performed on a ten month old boy, which never went into detail. Essentially though, a cochlear implant works to restore hearing to someone who was once hearing impaired. It involves implanting a device into the brain which translates sound impulses into; sound. Unfortunately, as I said before the article did not get into much detail so there was no follow up regarding the results of the procedure and the life changing effects on the patient.
Another individual discussed was Amanda Kitts who lost her left arm in a car accident in 2006. She now has a prosthetic arm that works by neural response. This means that the prosthetic has sensors that are grafted to the nerves in her arm. These nerves which would have sent impulses to her actual arm now send impulses to the bionic arm. Thus proving that; “even though the flesh and bone may be damaged or gone, the nerves and parts of the brain that once controlled it live on” (Fischman, pg 39). The article showed in great detail drawings, tests and demonstrations of the prosthetic’s movement. I found it interesting that her brain recognizes the arm as her own and she suffers much less phantom pain than amputees usually do; in fact she uses the phantom limb phenomena to her advantage as those sensations aid her in the use of the bionic arm.
Also covered by National Geographic is a new vision prosthetic. This reminded me of a character on Star Trek whose vision was restored by use of a prosthetic. In this case a 79 year old woman from Texas underwent a procedure to restore partial vision. In this case computer hardware was installed in and around her eye. She wears a form of glasses over her eyes connected to the installed hardware. This hardware in turn sends the images to a device worn on a belt, and, in turn, those images are sent as impulses back to the retina. The author does go on to explain, however, that; “(though) the electronics circumvent damaged light receptor cells and give (the patient) back a vestige of vision – shimmering lines, vague shapes, washes of color (they) are still on the ground floor of this technology.” (Fischman, pg 44) The way sight works as part of the brain was also covered in great depth, because vision is part of the brain the article explained how the implant works with the brain to make sight possible.
The bionic application I found to be the most interesting and, the best of all is the bionic skin which is flexible and senses everything just like normal skin. The applications for this alone seem endless. It can even be used over another prosthetic to give the look of a “natural limb”. The skin can be used as a replacement for skin that has been damaged otherwise, like by burns or another traumatic injury. I assume it could also be used in the correction of birth defects. Like I said the possibilities are never-ending.
Other prostheses were mentioned; prosthetic legs and ankles that are similar in design to Amanda Kitts’. All which work by translating nerve impulses to movement. This technology has applications that are very far reaching; from children who have lost their limbs in accidents to war veterans coming back with lost limbs. However, as I’ve mentioned it goes much farther; people who thought that they would never see or hear again have had those senses (somewhat) restored. Even burn victims can be given new skin without the telltale scarring of the typical grafting process. Now, only if they could figure out how to incorporate the sound effects of the first bionic man, Steve Austin.