The history of Keith Thomas, a 45-year-old who became paraplegic after a tragic diving accident in 2020, has garnered global attention. The scientists of Feinstein Institute from Northwell Health They were able to partially restore Thomas’ movement and sensitivity Artificial intelligence brain implants.
This breakthrough was made possible by an innovative operation by “double neural bypass”. First, surgeons implanted gods microchip in the brain by Thomas in the areas that control hand movement and tactile sensitivity. Chips interact with Artificial Intelligence Algorithms who “reconnects his brain to his body and spinal cord”, interpreting Thomas’ thoughts and putting them into action.
Wonders of Science: The Incredible Story of Keith Thomas
When Thomas thinks about moving his arm, signals from the brain chip activate a series of electrodes on his spine and arm muscles to stimulate the movement. Meanwhile, tiny sensors on his fingers send tactile information to his brain to restore sensation. It is a bidirectional brain-machine connection thereby bypassing his spinal injury.
In just four months after implantation, Thomas has more than doubled the strength of his arm. And that’s just the beginning: Researchers believe that repeated use of the bypass may promote long-lasting natural recovery. The brain, body and spinal cord can relearn communication channels that may have been forgotten.
“This is an epochal turning point” said lead researcher Chad Bouton in an article published by Northwell Health. “Our goal is to one day give paralyzed people the opportunity to lead a lifeta pi complAged and independent.” The surgery was grueling, involving 15 hours of brain mapping, and Thomas was intermittently awake, which he described as “overwhelming.”
Mind-machine interfaces are quickly becoming a hot topic Elon Musk’s Neuralink try similar tricks. However, this study shows how artificial intelligence can increase the usefulness of such systems. Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing medicine, from powering diagnostic implants to analyzing massive amounts of clinical data.
