The concept that science advances by giant steps is not new, however, the field of prostheses and implants is producing a real revolution. The discovery of new materials such as graphene, the reduction of the size of microchips and the invention of 3D printers are allowing researchers to make implants and robotic prostheses that significantly improve living conditions.
The world of prostheses or organ transplants are no longer what they were thanks to technological advances. With these advances, we can think of a not too distant future in which organ donation will not be necessary since we will be able to manufacture them using a 3D printer.
Graphene, a material discovered a few years ago, has a series of electrical properties, biocompatibility and flexibility that make it the ideal for multiple medical applications, including novel retinal implants. The project, developed by ICN2 in collaboration with the National Microelectronics Center, the Paris Vision Institute and the French company Pixium, could restore the sharpness of images seen by people who have lost the functionality of photosensitive cells in the retina and are responsible for converting light into electrical signals. Due to its characteristics, the optic nerve can be stimulated. However, it must be intact so the prosthesis can function and it also can generate electrical impulses in response to external stimuli such as light.
If we look at advances in robotic prostheses to replace limbs, the results are just as significant. An example is the bionic arm developed by Case Western Reserve University scientists in collaboration with the Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center. It’s a robotic arm that allows patients to perceive tactile sensations as if they were their own limbs. This is possible due to a series of sensors that are placed in the prosthesis. The sensors collect information about what the prostheses touches and transmits it to a computer that interprets it. Then it transmits it back to the carrier through electrodes implanted in the muscles that store the sensation, so the patient perceives a sensation similar to what he or she perceived when they touched the same object with their own limb. In addition, the prosthesis causes what’s known as “phantom pain” to disappear or be reduced.
Scientists added a system of microchannels that allow nutrients and oxygen to spread through the structure
Another advance in the world of medicine, thanks to new technology, is 3D printing, which refers to the cloning of organs and tissue. Experiments performed by institutions like the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center give hope for future creation of organs by printing them. The idea is that they can become fully functional organs, which can then be transplanted into patients. Ears, bones and muscles are just some of the organs that have been successfully printed and transplanted into animals. Printers use a combination of plastic and biodegradable materials to shape the tissue and subsequently apply water-based gels containing the cells that must colonize the tissue to give it life. To achieve this, scientists added a system of microchannels that allow nutrients and oxygen to spread through the structure and keep it alive as they create their own network of blood vessels.
Although these examples of medical advances are in the experimental phase and will take years to be become common medical practice, the fact is that this kind of cyborg human is increasingly closer to becoming a reality. The hope is that for those who need to replace an organ, tissue, limbs or cure a deficiency or disease these implants and prostheses will be able to help thanks to the latest technology.
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