Paralyzed man moves arm thanks to technology created by Ohio State University

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY WEXNER MEDICAL CENTER/OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY WEXNER

MEDCameras capture the scene as Ian Burkhart becomes the first patient ever to move his paralyzed hand with his own thoughts.

A diving accident left 23-year-old Ian Burkhart paralyzed four years ago. But last week, he was miraculously able to move his arm.

It's all thanks to a tiny microchip implanted in Burkhart's brain that connects his brain and his muscles.

The device, Neurobridge, is a collaborative effort between charitable trust Battelle Memorial Institute and Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Burkhart wears a sleeve that responds to his brain activity and sends a signal directly to the muscle, bypassing the injured area.

"It was a surreal experience because it's one thing I haven't been able to do in four years," Burkhart told the Daily News. "I've come to accept the fact that I'm not able to move my arm and hand, and to be able to fulfill the hope that I will be able to again someday really motivated me for the future and gave me a lot of hope for what life would be like."

Burkhart isn't the only one hopeful for the future. His neurosurgeon, Dr. Ali Rezai, shared the sentiment, and is beaming with pride for his patient.

"At age 19 his life took a dramatic turn," he said. "He embraces life and he moves forward and deals with his situation, and he's also a pioneer to help himself (and) also a lot of patients."

Neurobridge took 10 years to develop, and from there, months of rehabilitating Burkhart's arm to get it ready for the device, plus a three-hour surgery to implant the chip.

This photo captures the moment Ian Burkhart moved his hand for the first time using his own thoughts since becominig paralyzed.

Burkhart said he hoped to one day get back to throwing a lacrosse ball around - but that with the help of Neurobridge, his daily tasks can become so much easier.

"You can be a lot more independent and do more things for yourself, like feeding yourself and picking up your toothbrush," he said. "Really the biggest impact would be those everyday aspects."

From here, Burkhart's doctors hope to improve his ease with the machine and his range of motion. They also hope the technology can be used in other medical cases, like stroke victims.

"You can imagine that as this technology evolves you can apply this to multiple areas, and really effectively link the brain to allow improvements and functioning for many areas, not just the hands," said Chad Bouton, the Battelle engineer who designed and built Neurobridge. "We think this is an important first step and a new day for those who have disabilities. It's really a day forward."