“科幻”電極套為數(shù)百萬癱瘓患者帶來了新的希望

“科幻”電極套為數(shù)百萬癱瘓患者帶來了新的希望

Cutting-edge technology is giving new hope to millions of people living with paralysis across the United States. Researchers at The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research have successfully developed a light-weight, wearable electrode sleeve that regulates and triggers finger movement in quadriplegics.

尖端技術給美國各地數(shù)以百萬計的癱瘓患者帶來了新的希望。范斯坦醫(yī)學研究所的研究人員已經成功開發(fā)出一種重量輕、可穿戴的電極套，可以調節(jié)和觸發(fā)四肢癱瘓患者的手指運動。

The lead researcher, Chad Bouton, said his team developed the sleeve after they determined there was brain activity in motor areas years after severe injuries. The team realized that there was a way to stimulate the arm and isolate individual finger movements.

首席研究員查德·鮑頓(Chad Bouton)說，他的研究小組在發(fā)現(xiàn)嚴重受傷多年后，大腦的運動區(qū)域仍有活動，于是開發(fā)了這種袖狀裝置。研究小組意識到，有一種方法可以刺激手臂，并隔離手指的運動。

“This has been a very difficult problem in the world of rehabilitating folks living with paralysis after a stroke or a spinal cord injury,” Bouton told Fox News. “The hand is one of the most challenging areas of the body to rehabilitate because of that fine movement and all of the types of intricate motions the fingers in hand can do.”

鮑頓在接受福克斯新聞采訪時說:“對于中風或脊髓損傷后癱瘓的患者來說，康復一直是一個非常困難的問題。”“手部是身體最具挑戰(zhàn)性的恢復部位之一，因為手部的精細運動和手指所能做的各種復雜的運動。”

The unique way in which Bouton’s team learned to stimulate muscles led to the development of a wearable sleeve that patients could use every day. The sleeve allows for refined motor movement, and all of the actions are completed by the participants’ own volition. That means the sleeve picks up the muscle’s attempt to motion and then stimulates, over the skin, to help with the movement and complete the task.

鮑頓的團隊學習刺激肌肉的獨特方式，導致了一種病人每天都可以使用的可穿戴袖的開發(fā)。套筒允許精細的運動，所有的動作都是由參與者自己的意志完成的。這意味著，袖接住肌肉的運動嘗試，然后刺激皮膚，幫助運動和完成任務。

Casey Ellin, 32, became one of the first patients to test out the sleeve.

32歲的凱西·埃林(Casey Ellin)成為第一批測試這種套管的病人之一。

“I went into the study with no expectations,” Ellin said. “At first when I tried it, I felt like I was in some sort of sci-fi movie getting an upgrade, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up. I went in thinking that what we are doing at the study could benefit so many people in the future.”

“我沒有抱任何期望就開始了這項研究，”埃林說。“一開始我嘗試的時候，我覺得自己像是在科幻電影里得到了升級，但我不想抱太大希望。我當時就在想，我們在這項研究中所做的事情可能會在未來造福很多人。”

Ellin suffered a cervical spinal cord injury in June 2013 while diving in the ocean at Jones Beach. Doctors diagnosed him with having a C5 spinal cord injury, which meant he had substantial motor and sensory limitations.

2013年6月，埃林在瓊斯海灘的海水中潛水時，頸椎脊髓受傷。醫(yī)生診斷他患有C5脊髓損傷，這意味著他有大量的運動和感覺障礙。

Bouton told Fox News that Ellin has been able to make great strides with the sleeve.

鮑頓在接受福克斯新聞采訪時表示，艾林已經能夠在袖子上大展拳腳。

“Casey’s been able to wear the sleeve and use it to pick up things, like a granola bar, and then feed himself, and these types of accomplishments are very, very important,” he said.

他說:“凱西能夠戴上袖子，用它來拿東西，比如格蘭諾拉燕麥卷，然后自己吃東西。這些成就非常非常重要。”

Ellin said he believes that this type of invention has the potential to open many doors for the disabled community.

埃林說，他相信這種發(fā)明有潛力為殘疾人社區(qū)打開許多大門。

“Being able to have the use of one’s hands, even in a limited capacity would be a game-changer,” Ellin said. “Studies like this give me a lot of hope for the future, I think this is just the tip of the iceberg.”

埃林說:“即使是在有限的能力范圍內，手的使用也將改變游戲規(guī)則。”“這樣的研究給了我很多未來的希望，我認為這只是冰山一角。”

Bouton echoed Ellin’s optimism for the future of paralysis patients.

鮑頓對癱瘓病人的未來表示樂觀。

“If you have a wearable form of this type of stimulation, these types of electrodes, you can wear it not only on the upper limb, but also the lower limb,” Bouton said. “And we are working with folks to explore that, and we hope in the future to potentially even help people regain leg movement and maybe one day even walking.”

鮑頓說:“如果你有這種可穿戴式的刺激，這種類型的電極，不僅可以戴在上肢，還可以戴在下肢。”“我們正與人們一起探索這個問題，我們希望未來能幫助人們恢復腿部運動，也許有一天甚至能走路。”