First ‘bionic’ arm to help stroke victim move again

A BRITISH woman yesterday became the first person in the world to have a “bionic” device fitted to help restore some of her lost hand and arm movement.

Stroke victim Fran Read, 46, from Poole in Dorset, had the final procedure yesterday at Southampton General Hospital.

Dr Jane Burridge, who is in charge of the project, said the procedure had been a success but it would be a long time before it could help other stroke victims.

However, over the next few months it is hoped that Mrs Read, who has suffered two strokes, will be helped to re-learn how to use her left hand and arm and eventually resume playing netball.

The hairdresser is the first to undergo the pioneering procedure in which electrical micro-stimulators were implanted into her left arm close to nerves and muscles which have not been used effectively since her strokes.

The five tiny cylindrical devices were inserted under a local anaesthetic at Southampton General Hospital two weeks ago.

Today she was fitted with a radio frequency cuff which will relay signals from a computer and then to the micro-stimulator, mimicking messages the brain usually sends to the muscles.

The movement should improve as Mrs Read uses the system more and more, and Dr Burridge hoped it would rebuild the muscles and help the limb re-learn how to move.

Dr Burridge said: “This is early days. It’s a long process - the project will last for two years. In a month’s time I think we will have the system working and she will have probably noticed some small change.

Dr Burridge said the latest success was the culmination of 16 years of research and development by the Alfred Mann Foundation, an American non-profit medical research body.

Dr Burridge said that she hoped in the future the new system would help other stroke victims.

But after this first trial five other people will receive the system, possibly leading to a clinical trial.

She also said in the future this technology could one day help paralysed people.