System and method for conscious sensory feedback

摘要

A system for conscious sensory feedback for a body extremity without sensation or a body extremity prosthesis is disclosed, as well as methods for conscious sensory feedback based on said system; a glove, a sock and a body extremity prosthesis comprising said system; and use of the system.

主权项

1. A system that provides conscious sensory feedback to a patient having a body extremity without sensation or a prosthesis in place of a missing body extremity, the system comprising:
a plurality of sensors configured in a spatial pattern and adapted to be arranged on a region of the body extremity without sensation or on a region of the prosthesis, the region being where the conscious sensory feedback is desired; a processor arranged to receive at least one signal from the plurality of sensors; a tactile display connected to the processor, the tactile display being adapted to be arranged on the patient on the skin of a neighboring intact body extremity having sensation, the body extremity having sensation neighboring the body extremity without sensation or the prosthesis, the tactile display comprising:
a plurality of signal transducers; anda support adapted to position the transducers on the skin of a distal side of the neighboring intact body extremity having sensation in a spatial pattern that forms a mirror image map of the spatial pattern of the plurality of sensors in order to provide spatial recognition and association of the region on the body extremity without sensation or the region on the prosthesis, the system being configured such that each of the signal transducers stimulate a naturally occurring nervous component in the skin of the body extremity having sensation when a stimulus is applied to the corresponding sensor on the body extremity without sensation or on the prosthesis; wherein said system is adapted to be attachable to and detachable from the patient without surgical intervention.