Pressreleaser | 13 Jul 2023 | Integrum

Integrum AB: Integrum’s technology using AI gives an above-elbow amputee unprecedented control of every finger in a bionic hand

The scientific paper illustrates how Integrum’s technology combined with advanced reconstructive surgery and AI for the first time, made it possible for an above-elbow amputee patient to control every finger of a prosthetic hand as if it were his own. The surgery took place at the Sahlgrenska University Hospital and combined new microsurgical techniques with sophisticated implanted electrodes that provide single-finger control of a prosthetic arm as well as sensory feedback. The embedded neuromuscular sensors were connected to an electronic system via Integrum’s bone-anchored interface (OPRA™ Implant System and e-OPRA™ Implant System), and AI algorithms in the electronic system translated the user’s intentions into prosthetic finger movements.

”Integrum not only provides solutions for a more efficient mechanical connection between the body and the prosthesis, but our cutting-edge research with bidirectional communication to the body using implanted electrodes combined with AI is also raising the bar for how we can restore human function. It’s a great accomplishment based on 30 years of developing the concept, where Integrum is proud to have played a key role,” comments Rickard Brånemark, CEO of Integrum and co-author.

The study was run by a collaboration with Integrum and researchers at the Center for Bionics and Pain Research, Chalmers University of Technology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, and the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, the Bionics Institute in Melbourne, Australia, the Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy, the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa, Italy, the K. Lisa Yang Center for Bionics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA.