Phantom limb pain frequently follows amputation. Currently there is no fully effective treatment available. Our aim is to develop an innovative Human Machine Interface (HMI) where we apply multi-channel microstimulation to the nerve stump of an amputee subject to manipulate the phantom limb sensations and explore the possibility of using microstimulation as a treatment for phantom limb pain.

International audienceArtificially inducing phantom hand sensations by electrical stimulation may reduce PLP. The use of implantable, multi-channel microelectrodes provides the opportunity to selectively activate sensory fibres. However, combinations of variables from a multichannel stimulation system can produce a huge number of possible stimulation paradigms. It makes the use of psychophysical evaluation of the evoked sensations an impractical and time-consuming task in the clinical setting. Our aim is to develop a computerized, automatic, psychophysical testing platform to support control, delivery and evaluation of the electrical stimulation for PLP relief

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International audienceThe voltage required to stimulate small diameter myelinated (Adelta fibres) and unmyelinated (C fibres) neurons consistently is so large that it is unsafe for chronic vagal stimulation. We present here a solution that reduces by 80% the amount of electrical charge necessary to produce action potential. These solutions were tested in a porcine model that allowed simultaneously to locate the origin of the afferent neurons, to stimulate the vagal trunks at distance from the recording electrode and to record the evoked activity of one neuron using the single afferent method. The reduction in current supplied by the most effective pulse pattern makes possible to incorporate this solution in an implanted device without damaging the vagal nerv