Researchers Develop Artificial Eyelid Muscles to Restore Blink Reflex
January 27, 2010
The MedGadget blog recently reported on a new artificial eyelid muscle mechanism that may one day assist patients with problems with their “blink reflex” due to stroke, injury or disease.
According to a press release from the UC Davis Healthy System, surgeons from UC Davis Medical Center have demonstrated that artificial muscles can restore the ability of patients with facial paralysis to blink, a development that could benefit the thousands of people each year who no longer are able to close their eyelids due to combat-related injuries, stroke, nerve injury or facial surgery.
The technique, which uses a combination of electrode leads and silicon polymers, could also be used to develop synthetic muscles to control other parts of the body.
The new procedure is described in an article in the January-February 2010 issue of the Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery.
Click here to read the full press release.
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