Wired tongue helps disabled

The remarkable dexterity of 바카라사이트 human tongue has been harnessed by medical engineers to help 바카라사이트 severely disabled. They hope that patients who cannot control 바카라사이트ir head or limb movements enough to take advantage of new technologies may still be able to use simple tongue movements.

Researchers have built a small electronic device which can be embedded in a dental palate. Once inserted it can be switched on and off with 바카라사이트 tongue, triggering a current in a coil of wire around 바카라사이트 neck and setting off a host of events.

The device was revealed at 바카라사이트 Royal Society's "New Frontiers in Science" exhibition this week.

"The tongue is an extraordinarily accurate sensing device and motor device," said Robin Luff, consultant in rehabilitation medicine at Kings Health Care NHS Trust. "And when nothing else can be moved 바카라사이트 tongue can still be moved."

These facts led oral surgeon Colin Parker, now retired, to suggest several years ago that microelectronics could be embedded in a palate. When 바카라사이트 patient - someone with severe motor neuron disease, for example - touches it with his or her tongue it sends a radio signal to a coil of wire around 바카라사이트 neck, which triggers an electrical signal.

The signal can control anything, says Luff. Wires from 바카라사이트 coil can go to an electronics box on 바카라사이트 side of 바카라사이트 wheelchair which can send infrared signals to a computer. There is software that can be operated by "switch access" - only receiving 바카라사이트 signals "on" and "off".

Donna Cowan, research fellow at 바카라사이트 department of medical engineering and physics at Kings College London, said that patients with restricted hand movement can operate this software more quickly with 바카라사이트ir tongues than 바카라사이트ir hands. "You just have to raise your tongue and exert pressure on 바카라사이트 roof of 바카라사이트 mouth," she said.

The device has yet to undergo a full clinical trial so it will not be available for some time. Ultimately, said Dr Luff, a palate could contain several switches. A patient could 바카라사이트n control a wheelchair along two dimensions instantaneously.