Key Points
He could still feel his hand after it was gone, a so-called phantom limb caused by signals firing through the nerves that once connected his hand to his brain..
Three years ago, researchers at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory began testing a new stimulator that would restore feelings of cold to people who have experienced limb loss, and Matheny became one of four volunteers..
Although state-of-the-art prosthetic limbs can already provide fine motor control and basic sensory feedback, the nuances of touch that make people feel like their limbs are truly their ownlike temperaturehave remained out of reach..
In her research, Graczyk found that providing sensory feedback helps prosthesis wearers feel more confident and comfortable interacting with others and makes their artificial limbs feel more like a part of themselves..
For prosthesis wearers to feel a chill, something must transmit an ultrafast temperature signal (in under half a second) with sub-centimeter precision from the prosthesis to the skin to activate the nerves that once corresponded to the persons fingers..
