A groundbreaking new technology is bringing hope after injuries in which the sense of touch in limbs has been lost following amputation. Researchers have developed a sensor that can be implanted anywhere in the body. The sensor connects to a functioning nerve and accordingly provides the injured person's sense of touchNerves restored. The development is also biocompatible and requires no electricity, cables or batteries.
The sense of touch restored with biotechnology
Researchers at Tel Aviv University developed the innovative technology. Each time the limb touches an object, the sensor activates and sends an electrical current to the functioning nerve. Accordingly, this then recreates the feeling of touch. The developers emphasize that this is a tested and safe biotechnology suitable for the human body and would be implantable anywhere once clinical trials are completed. The team used a cutting-edge technology called triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) to develop a tiny sensor and test it on animal models. The sense of touch comes from an electric current directly from a healthy nerve and does not require complex implantation or charging. The researchers explain that the bionic sensor actually works with friction force. Whenever the device senses friction, it charges itself.
According to the developers, the innovative product can actually bypass the damaged sensory organs. In addition, the device is made of biocompatible material that is harmless to the human body. It is also maintenance-free and not even visible from the outside. When the injured finger touches something, the touch releases the tension according to the pressure applied to the device. Weak tension equals a weak touch, and strong tension equals strong touch. The whole thing works exactly like a normal sense of touch. The tests on animal models showed that the sensor allowed them to respond to sensory stimuli. What the authors want next isthis studyimplant the implant into people's fingers, which would significantly improve their quality of life.
