Chosun Biz

Reporter Lee Byeong-cheol (Chosun Biz)

A leg amputee walks with a ‘absolutely neural managed’ robotic prosthetic limb developed by researchers on the Massachusetts Institute of Know-how (MIT). By means of surgical procedure that preserves the leg nerves as a lot as attainable, pure motion is feasible with out the enter of a gait algorithm./Naturopathy

Sufferers whose legs had been amputated on account of accident or illness might stroll once more with robotic legs. The leg of the robotic obtained nerve alerts and moved in response to the affected person’s ideas with out coming into a pre-programmed strolling program.

Professor Hugh Herr of the Massachusetts Institute of Know-how (MIT) and his analysis workforce wrote within the worldwide tutorial journal ‘Nature Drugs’ on the 2nd, “We have now improved the power of amputees to stroll to a standard degree with a leg robotic prosthetic that instantly. connects to the nervous system.” “I managed to get well,” he stated. Korean-American scientist Tune Hyeon-geun, a postdoctoral researcher at MIT, led this analysis as first writer of the paper, and doctoral researcher Yeon Seong-ho additionally participated. as co-author.

Dr. Tune Hyeon-geun stated, “That is the results of analysis that developed the world’s first absolutely managed robotic prosthetic limb.

A number of robotic prosthetic limbs are already worn by leg amputees. Nonetheless, most robotic prosthetics detect nerve alerts from the person’s remaining muscular tissues and allow applicable motion. To do that, the strolling sample should be entered into the robotic leg upfront. There isn’t any downside in strolling in on a regular basis environments, however in surprising conditions or conditions which might be troublesome to satisfy in on a regular basis life, there’s a nice chance that the affected person may have problem transferring or falling. It is because it’s a strolling sample that the robotic foot doesn’t know.

A leg amputee with a customized robotic prosthetic leg walks up and down a slope. It seems uncomfortable as a result of it isn’t utterly linked to the affected person’s nerves./Nature Drugs

Researchers have developed a surgical approach to utterly join a robotic prosthetic limb to the affected person’s nerves. This surgical approach, referred to as ‘Agonist-Antagonist Interface (AMI)’, is a technique that preserves ​​the nerves mandatory for nerve management as a lot as attainable, in contrast to present leg surgical procedures. When an individual strikes, agonist and antagonist muscular tissues work together.

Present surgical procedures amputate the broken leg, damaging the nerves and muscle constructions. Tender tissue that covers the surgical space can be created. If a prosthetic leg is inserted on this situation, full nerve alerts from the muscular tissues coming from the affected person’s leg which might be involved is not going to be obtained. The prevailing methodology detects delicate adjustments in several muscular tissues for every motion, and the software program operates the robotic leg in response to a pre-installed program accordingly.

However, AMI surgical procedure preserved nerve alerts that drive motion as much as 18% of regular individuals’s motion. The researchers stated that with simply this degree of sign, the affected person can absolutely management the robotic’s prosthetic leg. Researcher Tune stated, “If the present robotic prosthetic leg was a foot-shaped car, the know-how we developed this time permits the affected person to totally management maintain on to the robotic’s prosthetic leg as if it had been their very own physique and stroll naturally.” Not solely is it attainable to climb mountains, stairs, and obstacles with out problem, not solely on flat floor.” “You possibly can,” he stated.

The researchers confirmed the efficiency of the robotic prosthetic limb on 14-leg amputees. Seven of the contributors wore newly developed robotic prosthetics, whereas the remainder wore present merchandise and examined their strolling pace and skill to beat obstacles.

pure medication

Because of the experiment, sufferers who underwent a brand new operation and wore robotic prosthetics had been capable of stroll 41% sooner than different sufferers. The researchers defined that this can be a pace that’s not considerably totally different from the pace of regular individuals. Additionally, it handed with out a downside even in an atmosphere with many obstacles.

The researchers stated this examine is necessary as a result of it suggests a method for sufferers to stroll once more utilizing their very own neural alerts. It gave hope that individuals might use robotic legs at will as a substitute of utilizing software program.

This examine can be necessary as a result of it offers a medical measure of how a lot a affected person’s nervous system must be restored to revive bodily perform. Researcher Tune stated, “It’s actually troublesome for sufferers with leg fractures or spinal twine harm to get well 100% of their misplaced nervous system,” and added, “This examine confirmed that it’s attainable to stroll usually even when solely 18% of the final inhabitants recovers from that.”

Researcher Tune stated, “At the moment, the one hospital that may carry out this newly developed surgical procedure is Brigham and Girls’s Hospital at Harvard Medical Faculty, however we’re coaching medical doctors to carry out the surgical approach unfold around the globe. “We’re researching corrective surgical procedure that may join nerves to robotic prosthetics utilizing present supplies,” he stated.

References

Nature Drugs (2024), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-024-02994-9

Asan Environmental Science Park. The burning chimney rising within the middle is meant to be an area check facility that creates a zero-pressure surroundings./Asan Metropolis

An area science analysis facility that recreates a weightless surroundings has been inbuilt Asan, South Chungcheong Province. It’s anticipated to emerge as a primary infrastructure for Korean house science by enabling not solely analysis to ignite the following era of launch car, the successor of the launch car Korean Nuriho launched, despatched to a distant place, but in addition house drugs experiments.

Baek Seung-hwan, a senior researcher on the Korea Aerospace Analysis Institute, stated on the Korea Microgravity Affiliation held at Hana Sq., Korea College, Anam-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul on the twenty third of final month, ” we are going to drop a tower that creates a weightless state of affairs by free falling from a peak of 120m on the Inexperienced Tower within the Asan Environmental Science Park in Chungcheongnam-do. “

It’s a actual surroundings the place there may be not a lot gravity and radiation pouring in from the solar and distant celestial our bodies. To check with a staff on the moon and Mars, we have to know what modifications are occurring in folks, animals and crops in house. Scientists are doing analysis on the Worldwide Area Station (ISS), which orbits house. Just lately, numerous research are being achieved to search out new medicine and substances by finding out the modifications that happen in cells and substances.

Drop Tower is an experimental system that creates a weightless surroundings on the bottom, not on an area station. Dropping an object from a excessive place instantly creates a weightless surroundings inside the article. When an object falls freely beneath the acceleration of Earth’s gravity, its weight disappears, and it finally ends up floating within the air like an astronaut.

A Nationwide Aeronautics and Area Administration (NASA) researcher is conducting an experiment by dropping a big experimental package deal from the drop tower on the Glenn Analysis Middle in Ohio, USA. /NASA

◇ Zero-gravity experiment to develop reusable rocket

On the Drop Tower, the Korea Aerospace Analysis Institute plans to develop management know-how for next-generation launch automobiles that can be used for lunar exploration between 2030 and 2032. Automobile ignition know-how is a know-how that flip off the engine after which flip it on once more, and is used when sending a launch car into deep house or when it re-enters the Earth. This know-how can also be important for reusable launch automobiles similar to SpaceX’s Falcon 9. For the time being Korea solely has the know-how to mild engines on the bottom.

Cryogenic propellant, which is rocket gasoline, is injected into the engine in a uniform state on the bottom. Nonetheless, the state of affairs is totally different in a zero gravity surroundings. When the liquid agent and the fuel that holds the strain of a tank combine and boil, bubbles seem. If these fuel bubbles get combined into the engine, the efficiency will lower or it is going to break down. SpaceX, which gives the world’s largest launch service, additionally failed as a result of similar downside within the early phases of Falcon 9 growth.

To develop management know-how, we should first understand how liquid propellers react within the house surroundings. Nonetheless, carrying an experimental system on an area launch car like Nuri and conducting experiments in house requires a big finances. Additionally, it’s troublesome to conduct assessments continuously. Another choice is a zero gravity surroundings check facility similar to a drop tower.

In Korea, a drop tower has been put in by Area Lintech in a vertical shaft at Handeok Iron Mine in Jeongseon, Gangwon-do. Though it’s a giant facility with a depth of 500m, there will not be many supporting analysis amenities close by. In 2022, the Korea Superior Institute of Science and Expertise (KAIST) introduced plans to construct a drop tower at Harvard Medical College’s Massachusetts Common Hospital (MGH) and Cheongna Medical Middle Village within the Incheon Free Financial Zone, but it surely didn’t undergo. but to be realized. .

Whereas trying to find the positioning of a fallen tower in an space close to its headquarters in Daejeon, the Korea Air Analysis Institute discovered the Asan Inexperienced Tower. An environmentally pleasant ecological park was constructed on the home waste and sewage remedy plant created in Asan Metropolis, and the 150m excessive waste incineration chimney was transformed into an observatory. After realizing that the middle of the tower was empty from the higher ground to the decrease ground, the researchers proposed a drop tower facility to Asan Metropolis. Asan Metropolis additionally actively supported the institution of an area analysis facility, saying it may create cooperation with the encircling analysis facilities.

The peak of the drop tower constructed by the Korea Aerospace Analysis Institute is 120m, making it the third tallest after NASA and Bremen in Germany. A free fall gear drop facility and laboratory have been put in on the higher ground, and a buffer facility to obtain drop check gear was put in on the decrease ground. Senior researcher Lee Sang Yoo stated, “Though the time it takes to fall is as quick as 4 seconds, we will carry out numerous experiments that require a zero-gravity surroundings in addition to analysis administration. “

The Korea Aerospace Analysis Institute plans to signal an settlement with Asan Metropolis in June and supply experimental companies to home corporations and analysis establishments. Along with house stations, a weightless surroundings will be created in satellites, parabolic plane, rockets, and drop towers. Drop towers are another choice, particularly for corporations within the early phases of analysis or who do not have the price of launching house.

Bubbles are forming within the liquid oxygen oxidizer of the second stage of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket through the administration course of. /SpaceX

◇ Pharmaceutical laboratories additionally proceed to house

The drop tower is predicted to be an necessary infrastructure for home house explorers and house corporations. It is because the variety of corporations and analysis facilities overseas which can be making an attempt to do experiments in an surroundings with zero gravity is continually growing. Along with conventional plane corporations similar to Boeing and Lockheed Martin in the USA, new house manufacturing corporations similar to Made in Area and Nanolax are additionally discovering new idea manufacturing applied sciences utilizing 3D printing on the station house

Pharmaceutical corporations are additionally going into house to check new medicine in a zero-gravity surroundings. American house firm Varda Area Industries launched Winnebago 1, a cone-shaped scientific check satellite tv for pc, into house final June and just lately recovered it. This satellite tv for pc is provided with an experimental system to develop protein crystals of ritonavir, an AIDS remedy drug from the American pharmaceutical firm Pfizer.

Merck of the USA additionally performed experiments in house to discover a manufacturing technique to make the most cancers immunotherapy drug Keytruda a subcutaneous injection. Gilead Sciences performed experiments on the house station to search out situations that will enhance the protection of remdesivir, a remedy for COVID-19.

Home pharmaceutical corporations are additionally pursuing house science experiments. Brax, which was co-founded by Boryeong and the American house firm Axiom Area, is selling house science experiment orbital launch assist initiatives for home and overseas corporations and house science researchers beginning this 12 months. Boryeong opened the ‘Care in Area (CIS)’ competitors to search out out concerning the begin of house healthcare in 2022, and has been holding the ‘Human in Area (HIS)’ competitors since final 12 months, increasing house and other people’s lives as a discipline of enterprise progress.

Lim Dong-ju, CEO of Bracks, stated, “This 12 months, we have now added orbital launch funding to assist house science experiments for the primary time,” and added, “We anticipate the comply with your complete launch course of via Axiom Area.

Park Chan-heum, a professor on the Hallym College College of Medication, put ahead a plan to make use of synthetic satellites, together with CubeSats (micro-satellites), as scientific check platforms on the Korea Microgravity Affiliation which was held at Korea College in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul on. the twenty third./Reporter Park Geun-tae

◇ Synthetic satellites are additionally turning into house laboratories

At this convention, one other house science check infrastructure to be promoted in Korea was additionally launched. Park Chan-heum, a professor on the Hallym College College of Medication, proposed a plan to make use of satellites as science laboratories. The concept is to construct a small house laboratory by inserting life science check gear, computer systems to course of knowledge, and communication gear on a satellite tv for pc.

Professor Park’s staff plans to ship discovery bio-experiment gear to house in June utilizing a launch car from Periphera Aerospace, a home launch car firm. We’re additionally pursuing a plan to position a 3D bioprinting system that cultivates cells utilizing stem cells on a CubeSat (micro satellite tv for pc) with a width of 34 cm, a size of twenty-two cm, and a peak of 10 cm earlier than the November 2025 and positioned in house orbit 700 km away. . We have now additionally began creating satellites which can be bigger than CubeSats and may return to Earth. This satellite tv for pc, which is able to return to Earth in 2027, is meant to analysis tradition and examine glioblastoma.

In 2019, Professor Park despatched experimental gear to the house station along with the College of Pennsylvania. He stated, “Experiments on the house station are costly, however all the outcomes should be given to the international locations which can be members of the house station which have achieved joint analysis.” He stated, “Utilizing satellites, low prices and impartial analysis will be achieved at house, guaranteeing that they go solely know-how.” he stated.

reference materials

Acta Astronautica (2023), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2022.10.012

Journal of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineering (2021), DOI: https://doi.org/10.6108/KSPE.2021.25.4.078

Utilized Sciences (2020), DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/app11010068