Once the realm of science fiction, bionics is slowly but surely becoming a reality. Advances in medical prostheses and computer technology are making the dream of building a bionic human a reality.

Bionic Eye:

The Argus II bionic eye is currently undergoing trials in 50-75 patients in the US. The system uses a spectacle mounted camera that feeds visual information to 60 electrodes implanted in the retina.

Bionic Ear: Cochlear Implant

Cochlear implants are one of the oldest pieces of the bionic man, first developed in 1969 by William House and Jack Urban.

Although traditionally the devices have been implanted in just one ear, bilateral cochlear implants are currently being trialled as two implants help in localizing sounds.

Bionic Brain

An artificial hippocampus (part of the brain responsible for storing new memories) is being developed by scientists at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.

Arrays of electrodes record electrical activity coming from the brain and further arrays send appropriate electical instruction back out.

The idea is that the implant will be able to bypass damaged areas of brain tissue by replicating it’s function electronically.

Bionic Tongue

Scientists at the Luebeck Medical University in Germany have conducted successful tests on pigs of the first bionic tongue.

The tongue is constructed from throat muscles linked to a device that transmits nerve signals in a similar way to a heart pacemaker.

Bionic Nose

We are still waiting for a bionic nose but in the meantime development continues on artifical electronic noses. Uses for such technology include laboratory noses for measuring aromas used in R&D for food, beverage, medical and enviromental applications. They are also being used in hospitals for smelling for ’superbugs’.

Bionic Heart

In July 2001, Robert Tools received the first completely self-contained artifical heart transplant.

The Abiocor replacement heart is designed for patients with end-stage heart failure when all other treatment options have been exhausted.

Bionic Lung

Surgeon Robert Bartlett successfully replaced 100% of the lung function of sheep with an implantable artificial lung.

The design used tiny hollow fibers and the hearts own pumping power. Other designs for artificial lungs have used external mechanical pumps to push the blood through the oxygenating device.

Bionic Arm

Bionic arms work by detecting movements of chest muscle that have been connected to the remains of nerves that once went to the lost limb.

The impulses emitted from the transplanted nerves into the chest muscle are picked up by the harness and processed by a computer which then directs very precise movements of the artificial limb.

Bionic Kidney

Currently, patients with renal failure rely on external dialysis to replace the functions carried out by the human kidney. Work is ongoing on dialysis technology to decrease the size and complexity which will result in implantable bionic kidneys according to Dr. William Fissell, an internist at the University of Michigan School of Medicine:

The first step toward that goal, Fissell said, is improving the effectiveness of external artificial kidneys, or hemodialysis devices. Next would be to make an external device small enough for a patient to wear continuously. The final step would be a device that could be implanted, not unlike a pacemaker for the heart.

Bionic Liver

Dr. Jörg C. Gerlach from the University of Pittsburgh invented a bionic liver that consisted of a tiny pump, a chamber containing human liver cells, and a catheter connecting it all to the patient. This, and other similar projects such as ELAD (extracorporeal liver assist device), produced by Vitagen Incorporated of La Jolla, California, are intended to be a temporary solutions in the event of liver failure rather than a permanent, internal replacement to the human liver.

While work continues on integrating mechanical solutions to liver failure, scientists from Newcastle University in the UK have successfully grown a replacement mini-liver from umbilical cord stem cells. The cells were then placed in a “bioreactor” developed by NASA that mimics the effects of weightlessness and allows them to multiply rapidly. Using hormones and chemicals, the stem cells are then coaxed into turning into liver tissue.

Bionic Stomach

Martin Wickham from the Institute of Food Research has developed an artificial stomach to help decipher how the human gut reacts to various foods and conditions. This device is not intended to be a bionic stomach replacement though as the artificial stomach is not connected to humans and is not designed to replace stomach activitiy.

Bionic Legs

There are two interesting developments in bionic legs:

1. Replacement bionic legs for amputees. These bionic legs are attached following an amputation to help the patient regain lost limb function. An example of this type of bionic leg is the Victhom Power Knee

2. Augmented bionic legs for soldiers and other heavy lifting applications. Pictured above is the Berkeley Lower Extremity Exoskeleton, or Bleex, is part of a US defence project designed to be used mainly by infantry soldiers.

Bionic Anus

Aimed at combating severe feacal incontinence, the Acticon Neosphincter simulates normal sphincter function to give the patient control over defecation through a pressurized system.

References:

Trials for Bionic Eye Implants

Building the Bionic Brain

Scientists Developing Bionic Tongue

AbioCor Replacement Heart

Artificial Lung Success

Scientists Grow Artificial Liver

Scientists Create Artificial Stomach

Acticon Neosphincter

This entry was posted on Monday, March 26th, 2007 at 4:48 am and is filed under Medical Devices, Bionics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.