MIT researchers have recently unveiled an innovative approach to muscle stimulation for neuroprosthetics using optogenetics, a technique that employs light instead of electrical current. This new method, which was tested on mice, promises to offer improved muscle control and a significant reduction in fatigue.
Neuroprosthetic systems that artificially stimulate muscle contraction using electrical current have been a subject of research for many years. However, their widespread use has been limited due to the rapid onset of muscle fatigue and poor control. To address these challenges, MIT researchers, led by senior author and professor of media arts and sciences, Hugh Herr, and lead author and MIT graduate student Guillermo Herrera-Arcos, turned to optogenetics.
Optogenetics is a method that involves genetically engineering cells to express light-sensitive proteins, enabling researchers to control their activity by exposing them to light. Although this approach is not yet feasible in humans, the team at the K. Lisa Yang Center for Bionics at MIT is currently exploring safe and effective ways to deliver light-sensitive proteins into human tissue.
The researchers demonstrated that by using light to stimulate muscles, they could achieve more precise control compared to electrical stimulation. Moreover, the mice in the study exhibited a remarkable decrease in fatigue. According to Herr, this type of interface could have broad utility in clinical applications.
The study, which was published in Science Robotics, represents a significant step forward in the development of more advanced neuroprosthetic systems that could potentially offer better muscle control with less fatigue for individuals with paralysis or amputation.
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