25 September 2023
12:00 - 13:00 PM
Online event
Abstract
The goal of our research is to provide increased functional ability and independence for individuals with cervical level spinal cord injury (SCI) through the implantation of an electrical stimulation system that provides hand grasp opening and closing, overhead reach, postural stability, and, for some individuals, stand and transfer capability. Our implanted system, referred to as the "Networked Neuroprosthesis" (NNP) consists of a modular network of components, including electrical stimulation and biopotential recording. The system can be customized to meet the physiological needs and personal goals of each individual.
The NNP System has been implanted in seven individuals with C5/C6 motor complete SCI to date. We implant 20-24 stimulating electrodes in the trunk and upper extremity. Control is provided by 2-4 myoelectric signal recording electrodes in voluntary muscles in the forearm, shoulder, and neck. An implanted power module is placed in the abdomen. The results have been positive, and all subjects have demonstrated improved functional use of their hands, arms and trunk. Demonstrated activities include eating with a fork, writing, getting items out of the refrigerator, improved manual wheelchair propulsion, and successful standing pivot transfers from chair to bed. We will discuss our current results and future plans, including our intention to make this system "open source" so that it can be used freely by research teams around the world.
Biography
Kevin L. Kilgore, Ph.D., received the BS degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Iowa, Iowa City, in 1983, and the MS and Ph.D. degrees in Biomedical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, in 1987 and 1991.
He is currently the P. Hunter Peckham & George J. Picha Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Orthopaedics and Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at the MetroHealth System and School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University. He is also a Biomedical Engineer in the Research Service of the VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System and is an Associate Director in the Cleveland Functional Electrical Stimulation Center.
His research interests are in the clinical applications of functional electrical stimulation to provide hand and arm function for individuals with paralysis, implantable health monitoring, and electrical nerve conduction block for pain and spasticity control. He is also seeking to establish an open source implantable system for research use, described at cosmiic.org.
