SimTech Colloquium: Update in prosthetic man machine interfaces (Jennifer Ernst)

February 5, 2025, 4:00 p.m. (CET)

Time: February 5, 2025, 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Meeting mode: online
Venue: Link: Join the talk 
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Join us online via https://unistuttgart.webex.com/unistuttgart/j.php?MTID=m8c67854d7997c762f54aa74d325f6ca1 

Imagine a world where machines and technology seamlessly bridge the gap between the amazing human body and prosthetic control devices. Interfaces which would not only receive signals from the nervous system, but also provide sensory feedback, essentially creating an optimal model of tools that cater to individual needs and improve human kinetics after limb loss. You will learn about surgically created soft tissue constructs which are combined with artificial devices capable of sensing or stimulating to form mechano-neural interfaces (MIs) that facilitate prosthetic integration through the bio-boostering of efferent neural signals conveying motor commands outward from the peripheral nervous system, and afferent neural signals conveying sensory information back from the external prosthesis to the central nervous system or both,  enabling conscious re-integration of their new body- image, sense of well-being and identity through advanced artificial limb’s physiological integration. 

Jennifer Ernst, Head of Division Innovative Amputation Medicine, is dedicated to improving the care of amputees by fostering interdisciplinary teams and emphasizes the importance of both physical and social rehabilitation for individuals living with limb loss or disability. After completing her medical studies at Georg August University Göttingen, she pursued further training at University Medicine Göttingen, BG Klinikum Duisburg, and Spital Sant Pau Barcelona. Jennifer is a board-certified specialist in plastic surgery. In 2021, the focus area for Innovative Amputation Medicine was established within the Department of Trauma Surgery (Clinic Director: Prof. Dr. Stephan Sehmisch) at Hannover Medical School. There, she integrates advanced surgical techniques—such as Agonist-Antagonist Myoneural Interface (AMI), Targeted Muscle Reinnervation (TMR), Targeted Sensory Reinnervation (TSR), Regenerative Peripheral Nerve Interfaces (RPNI), and osseointegration—at the time of (primary) amputation to reduce the incidence of amputation-associated pain. The goal is to reconstruct human-machine interfaces, enabling patients to interact optimally with available technology. This concept is referred to as "bionic reconstruction." Modern prosthetics are no longer focused on merely imitating what has been lost but rather on adapting human biology to allow for the most effective use of assistive devices in daily life. Jennifer is passionate about creating new opportunities for people living with disabilities. Together with her team, she conducts research and development in the fields of rehabilitation, exoskeletons/orthoses, and virtual reality-based therapy options.

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