Dr. Peckham says the device doesn't have an alarm to warn when the bladder is full so patients have to time themselves. One guy told me that when he goes to a bar with friends he watches them and times his bathroom visits to their visits. By pulling the shoulder back, the hand will open, forward it will close. A quick flick puts it into a sort of cruise control to remain closed and another quick flick releases that continuous control. As complicated as that sounds, he says, most people learn to use it within hours.
Proficiency takes longer.
Dr. Yu says an increasing number of patients surviving accidents has meant more patients are living with paralysis, driving research on several fronts. The National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center estimates new injuries in the U.S. at between 7,600 and 10,000 a year. By combining both approaches, it may be possible to achieve true functional restoration. Dr. Triolo and colleagues have begun a multicenter, two-year phase II trial of their device. So far two patients have been implanted with two devices and one can walk 50 to 100 feet.