On May 19, 2011, the Bob Summer could not walk but now he does something that other people with the Spine Injury never do. He can stand up from his wheel chair whenever he wants.
He said at the Teleconference that it was emotional and exciting to stand for the first time.
He does it with the help of a Pacemaker-like device that sends a light Electric current through the 16 Electrodes that are planted in the Spine of an injured person.
The Epideural Stimulation triggers the Neurons in his Spine that allow them to receive and respond to the Sensory Information from his legs.
The researcher Susan Harkema PhD of the University of Louisville and his colleagues said that this is a breakthrough and this will make an important impact on the Spine-Injury.
Bob Summer
Photo by : southcoasttoday
Harkema said at a News Conference that through this research we have found the new set of mechanism that was never taken in to advantage before. This has opened a new set of mechanism for the Spine-Injury patients for the recent and the old patients of Spine-Injury.
Story of Hard Work:
A Los Angele’s researcher V. Reggie Edgerton, PhD further says that this mechanism is not found overnight. It has taken more than 30 years of animal research by different scientists.
He further says that Bob can control his legs, this is amazing to see. This is something that nobody has shown before. The Epidural Stimulation at the modest levels enables a man to have conscious control of the body’s motion.
A patient of Paralysis for several years can control his movement. This is never done before.
The Bob was a 20 year- old member of championship team. In the year 2006, one day he was putting his bag in to the car while coming back from Gym meanwhile a fast moving car came and knocked the Legs of the Bob. When he woke up he was unable to move his legs or trunk, he was not even able to control his Bladder etc. he was unable to move.
Bob found his way to TIRR research Center in Houston. Here he met the physicians and he became the first of the 5 patients that were given Epidural Stimulation device.
This device is designed and approved for pain relief by the FDA.
This device was implanted in the Spine of the Bob and due to this device, Bob is able to stand and move with his own will.
