of upper limb amputees abandon, or choose not to use the a prosthetic
$ COST £
Is the main barrier in getting a fully functional bionic hand
The Average bionic hand currently can cost between
£ 30,000 - 60,000
WEIGHT, DISCOMFORT, & LACK OF DEXTERITY
Are some other reasons why amputees decide against using a prosthetic
Additionally, fitting a bionic limb is an incredibly
Invasive procedure
Procedure, requiring implants directly into the living bone. As a result, this is not possible for everyone, even if it can be afforded
In such cases, users may choose to opt for a
Myoelectric prosthetic
controlled by input from electromyographic (EMG) signals generated by muscles in the residual limb, and sent to a controller which then triggers the Intended movement.
These EMG signals are detected by
SURFACE ELECTRODES
embedded in the inner socket of the prosthetic. Upon meeting the skin, these electrodes detect and amplify the electrical activity of muscle groups in the residual limb.
However, there are many limitations which cause myoelectric prosthetics to be
DIFFICULT TO CONTROL
By many users, leading to passive use or total rejection
Further research has identified that the standard fitting of electrodes result in
EMG SIGNAL ARTIFACTS
Leading to unpredictable movements from the prosthesis in response to muscle contractions
These EMG signal artifacts are a result of
LOSS OF ELECTRODE CONTACT WITH THE SKIN
from everyday movements, and from sweat.
OUR SOLUTION
improve the interface on surface electrodes by engineering minimally invasive
SKIN-SPECIFIC NANOWIRES
to that are capable of binding to collagen, located in the middle layer of the skin.
The gram negative bacterium geobacter sulfurreducens form
CONDUCTIVE BIOFILMS
using their pili
These are a multimeric protein complex that can be modified by adding
PEPTIDE SEQUENCES
to the carboxyl end of the monomers, in this case, we will add collagen-binding tags
To mainain the integrity of the nanowire complex, we plan to encase this in a
RECOMBINANT SPIDER SILK MATRIX
Ultimately forming a complex that is biocompatible, flexible and possesses high tensile strength
OUR GOAL:
To genetically engineer E. coli to produce skin-specific e-pili nanowires as a novel biomaterial that can be used in minimally invasive precise prosthetic electrodes
This proof of concept can open doors into looking more closely at taking steps to improve the signal in less invasive prosthetic models, thus being accessible to a wider range of patients.
Furthermore, proteins are cheap and easy to express, providing a much more cost-effective solution to having more dexterity in prosthetic limbs.
