Congratulations Dr Enzo Mastinu!

We are proud to announce that our colleague Enzo Mastinu has successfully defended his PhD thesis, “Towards clinically viable neuromuscular control of bone-anchored prosthetic arms with sensory feedback” at Chalmers University of Technology.  

Dr. Mastinu has pursued his PhD in a joint collaboration between Integrum AB and Chalmers University of Technology, developing an embedded system for intuitive control of a prosthetic arm.  

The system is capable of prosthetic control by processing of bioelectric signals and pattern recognition algorithms. It also includes a neurostimulator to provide tactile feedback modulated by sensory information from artificial sensors. The system functionality has been proved by its successful use in combination with the e-OPRA implant system by amputee subjects outside the laboratory in daily life. The system is used as a research platform to monitor prosthesis usage and training, machine learning based control algorithms, and neural stimulation paradigms for tactile sensory feedback. 

The system developed by Dr. Mastinu allows natural and intuitive control of prosthesis with the help of myoelectric signals collected from the implanted e-OPRA electrodes. It also includes a neurostimulator that allows patients to perceive sensations. Dr. Mastinu’s work has resulted in one of the only systems in the world that provide these functionalities outside the laboratory and used in daily life. The system is used as a research platform to monitor prosthesis usage and training, machine learning based control algorithms, and neural stimulation paradigms for tactile sensory feedback. 

 The findings and the technology developed during the project opens the clinical use of a new class of prosthetic arms which are directly connected to the neuromusculoskeletal system, intuitively controlled and capable of tactile sensory feedback.