Soldier injured in Afghanistan becomes first Briton to be given bionic arm he can control with his BRAIN

A soldier who had his arm blown off by a grenade in Afghanistan has become the first person in the UK to receive a mind-controlled prosthetic limb.
The revolutionary arm was fitted during surgery which involved rewiring the nerve system and has been hailed as the future of prosthetic recovery.
Defence Minister Anna Soubry, who met Corporal Andrew Garthwaite today, said: ‘It is the stuff of almost science fiction coming to reality.’

Corporal Andrew Garthwaite, 26, is believed to be the first person in Britain to be given a bionic hand that he can control with his brain

Corporal Garthwaite lost his arm while serving in Afghanistan in 2010. He is pictured wearing muscle sensors before the robotic arm was fitted

Corporal Garthwaite had to have seven hours of surgery to rewire his nervous system before the new arm could be fitted. Graphic shows how the muscle sensors control the robotic arm

Corporal Garthwaite was injured when a grenade exploded in Helmand Province

Nerve endings from Corporal Garthwaite's shoulder, which would have run down to his hand, were instead rewired into his chest muscles

For 18 months Corporal Garthwaite has had the sensation of a hand growing in his chest

The soldier has had to learn how to control his hand with electrodes sending signals to his new arm so that he can control it with impulses from his brain

Corporal Garthwaite said: 'When I first got told about the operation I thought it was some sort of fairy tale, that someone was taking the mickey. But here I am today with this arm that is fitted and works off my mind. It's unbelievable'

Corporal Garthwaite has demonstrated that he can carry out everyday tasks such as potting a plant and making a jam sandwich using his prosthetic arm

He said: 'There is no point in looking back because you can never turn back time. I am still very lucky to be here. With this new life I have got, hopefully I can be very successful'

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Bionic Hand Not Only Moves But Also Gives Sensory Feedback

For years, artificial limbs have made it possible for amputees to move their attached arms or legs using their nerves. Now, with this bionic hand, new technology gives hope for patients, allowing them hand movement as well as feeling and sensation.
This bionic hand was the brainchild of Dr. Silvestro Micera and his team from Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland. The prosthetic is attached to the amputee’s arm, where electrodes are clipped onto his nerves. One set of electrodes receive signals from the brain to the hand, allowing the hand’s fingers to move and grasp objects. Another set of electrodes send signals from the hand to the brain, sending the message of tactile perception or touch.

In this way, the patient not only gets to hold or grasp an object with the bionic hand, but also feels that it is holding that particular item. Dr. Micera explains that this development with sensory feedback greatly assists patients with artificial limbs because the lack of feeling often poses a discomfort to them.
Currently, the EPFL team is working on perfecting the device. Soon, the bionic hand may feel sensations besides touch, such as temperature or pain. Eventually, artificial limbs can be created to resemble that of real limbs, not only in appearance but also in function. Dr. Micera mentions that they would like these limbs to be “as lifelike as possible.”
According to the researchers from EPFL, they are planning to transplant this bionic hand to an anonymous patient before the end of the year 2013. One can only hope that future advancements in this medical field will help more patients lead normal lives.

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