Doctors cure paralysis using a computer chip

Ian Burkhat moving his paralysed arm after a compurter chip was implanted in his brain

American Ian Burkhart, who cannot move any limbs from his elbows down, became the first patient ever to move by the power of thought alone.

He was able to curl his hand thanks to a computer chip implanted in his brain.

The development is seen as the first real step in the ‘bionic age’ and is now set to revolutionise treatment for the disabled.

Doctors at Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Centre helped the 23-year-old move his fingers after placing the 0.15 inch wide chip with 96 electrodes into his brain which then with the help of a computer ‘reads’ his mind.

Messages are then sent to a cable attached to an electrode sleeve fitted to his arm which decodes the message and stimulates the wearer’s muscle fibres recreating the movements he once had.

After practising drills, Ian managed to complete the ‘Neurobridge’ demonstration successfully last week opening his hand and briefly picking up a spoon just by willing it with his thoughts.

He said he has a long way to go towards full movement added that was his goal.

“It would really be nice to just do something as simple as open up a water bottle myself,” Ian said.

“Initially, it piqued my interested because I like science, and it’s pretty interesting.

“I’ve realised, ‘You know what? This is the way it is. You’re going to have to make the best out of it.’ “You can sit and complain about it, but that’s not going to help you at all. So, you might as well work hard, do what you can and keep going on with life.”

Ian lost movement in his limbs after at accident at the beach in North Carolina in 2010.

He had dived in to the surf but landed on his head breaking his neck on a hidden sandbar.

His friends pulled him from the water saving him from drowning.

Doctors say the development should give hope to millions of people who such from paralysis or muscular disorders many of which are caused by strokes.

“It’s much like a heart bypass, but instead of bypassing blood, we’re actually bypassing electrical signals,” said Chad Bouton, research leader at Battelle.

“We’re taking those signals from the brain, going around the injury, and actually going directly to the muscles.”