Can an Array of Micro-electrodes Implanted in a Human Nerve Record Neural Signals and Provide Feedback?

Can an Array of Micro-electrodes Implanted in a Human Nerve Record Neural Signals and Provide Sensory Feedback Useful for Controlling a Prosthetic Device?

The investigators will investigate the device feasibility of human peripheral nerves and muscles recording and stimulation using percutaneous Utah Slanted Electrode Arrays (pUSEAs) implanted into residual peripheral arm nerves and EMG electrodes implanted in the residual muscles of patients with limb amputations in order to determine the ability of the HAPTIX (Hand Proprioception and Touch Interfaces) System to control an upper-extremity prosthesis, and to provide a sense of cutaneous touch and muscle proprioceptive feedback to the amputee.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Amputation
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: percutaneous Utah Slanted Electrode Arrays (pUSEAs)

Detailed Description

The investigators will assess the functional capability of microelectrode slanted arrays with a large number of electrodes implanted into peripheral nerves of patients with upper-limb transradial amputations. The investigators hypothesize that recording neural signals from individual electrodes will provide selective motor information that is adequate to allow control over artificial limbs with many moving parts, i.e., wrist, and individually moving digits. These studies will also investigate to what extent microstimulation can provide sensory feedback from a prosthetic limb.

The HAPTIX System study will investigate the safety and efficacy of using electromyography (EMG), plus neural recording and nerve stimulation, to control and provide cutaneous and proprioceptive feedback from a dexterous, motorized and sensorized, upper-extremity prosthesis (e.g., the DEKA LUKE arm) used by amputees.

The HAPTIX System is intended to permit the function of an upper-extremity prosthesis to assist in activities of daily living (ADLs) using neurostimulation and recording of EMG and neural signals to control the prosthesis, and evoke touch sensation and proprioception in upper-extremity amputees with DEKA LUKE sensorized upper extremity prosthesis.

The HAPTIX System study is an early feasibility study (EFS) of the use of a combination of EMG recording electrodes, neural recording and stimulating electrodes, and external electronics and algorithms designed to provide sensory and proprioceptive feedback to the amputee, and to control movements of a prosthetic hand.

EMG signals from the residual forearm muscles of amputees will be recorded using up to 8 custom bipolar PermaLoc® electrodes. The incorporation of these electrodes into the HAPTIX System is described in 001_G190131A002_Amended_Device Description. Nerve signals will also be recorded using up to 3 percutaneous Utah Slanted Electrode Arrays (pUSEAs), whose electrode tips will be implanted intrafascicularly in residual arm nerves. Present-version pUSEAs utilize a transcutaneous lead and extracorporeal connector. Motor signals from the nerve will contribute to decoding motor intents decoded to control an advanced prosthetic hand. Nerve stimulation to evoke sensory perceptions will be provided by passing current through individual pUSEA electrodes, separately or in combination.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 3
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Douglas Hutchinson, M.D.; Phone Number: 801-587-5400; Email: Douglas.Hutchinson@hsc.utah.edu

Study Locations

• United States
  • Utah
    • Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, 84108
      • Recruiting
      • The University Orthopaedic Center
      • Contact: Douglas Hutchinson, M.D.; Phone Number: 801-587-5453

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• at least 18 years of age and less than 65 years of age
• unilateral and bilateral traumatic or elective upper extremity amputations at the transradial level

Exclusion Criteria:

• incarceration
• pregnancy
• inability to consent
• psychiatric comorbidity
• medical conditions that significantly increase the risk of adverse effects of general anesthesia

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Device Feasibility
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Implantation of a percutaneous Utah Slanted Electrode Arrays (pUSEAs); The arm (s) of the patient which has been amputated. Intervention include insertion of the percutaneous Utah Slanted Electrode Arrays which will interact with nerve endings in order to gain knowledge about device feasibility and nerve stimulation.	Device: percutaneous Utah Slanted Electrode Arrays (pUSEAs); Microelectrode slanted arrays with a large number of electrodes will be surgically implanted into peripheral nerves of patients with limb amputations.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Measure Action Potentials (millivolts, mV)	Three participants after receiving a stimuli will have action potentials (millivolts, mV) arising from the axons surrounding the tip of each electrode recorded in time. The moving action potentials (mV) measure five phases: resting potential, depolarization, peak, repolarization, and hyperpolarization.	Up to 2-years Follow-up

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Utah
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Douglas Hutchinson, M.D., University of Utah Orthopaedics

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): December 21, 2020
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2028
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2028

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 12, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 15, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): August 17, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 13, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 8, 2026
• Last Verified: May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Amputation; Micro-Electrodes; Prosthetic Device
• Other Study ID Numbers: 124231

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: Yes
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No