By Sandra Basu
WASHINGTON — Last fall, Tim Hemmes, a 30-year-old quadriplegic at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) was able to control an advanced mechanical arm using nothing but his brain signals.
Hemmes, paralyzed seven years earlier after a motorcycle accident damaged his spinal cord, was the first to participate in a trial to determine whether a spinal-cord injury patient could control an advanced prosthetic arm by thoughts.
With a grid of electrodes placed on the surface of the brain to control the prosthetic arm, Hemmes was able to reach up to touch hands with his girlfriend for the first time since the accident.
