For the First Time, Prosthetic Limbs Can Sense Temperature

Swiss and Italian researchers have developed a device that allows individuals with amputations to sense the temperature of objects using prosthetic limbs. According to Techna’s technology news service, the device created by the researchers has enabled an amputee to feel the temperature of objects through their prosthetic hand for the first time. This groundbreaking device utilizes a new innovation, paving the way for integrating sensory feedback into prosthetic limbs.

Suleiman Shakur, the lead researcher from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland, states that this device enhances sensory feedback in prosthetic limbs, helping amputees feel the artificial limb as part of their body. He emphasizes that creating a natural sensation without temperature would not be feasible. Shakur notes that this method could assist individuals in distinguishing whether an object is hot or not. The researchers previously demonstrated that by heating or cooling specific points on the remaining arm, they could recreate similar sensations in the amputated hand. Consequently, they developed a device named “Mini Touch,” which allows these individuals to sense temperature through their prosthetic hand.

The device detects changes in temperature through a sensor and communicates these changes to a controller via signals. The information relayed is transmitted through another component located on the upper part of the prosthetic limb. This setup enables the sensation to be felt by the skin of the arm, allowing the perceived temperature to be recreated in the arm to generate sensations. In this study, using the developed device to reproduce temperatures between 20 to 40 degrees Celsius allows the individual to feel warmth at the location of the temperature sensor on the amputated hand.