Mind-Controlled bionic hand gets closer: Micro-Electrodes implanted in nerves
NCT ID NCT05505513
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This early study tests whether tiny electrode arrays implanted in the arm nerves of three amputees can record nerve signals and provide sensory feedback. The goal is to let users control a prosthetic hand more naturally and feel touch or movement. The device is still experimental and only being tested for feasibility.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- percutaneous Utah Slanted Electrode Arrays (pUSEAs) – tiny wire bundles implanted in arm nerves
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could help amputees control a prosthetic hand more naturally and even feel sensations like touch or movement.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very early study with only 3 people. The device requires surgery, and it is not yet known if it will work reliably or be safe long-term.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 3 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Dec 2020
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 65 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
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
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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The University Orthopaedic Center
RECRUITINGSalt Lake City, Utah, 84108, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can a motorized knee help amputees walk more? trial puts it to the test
- Can we predict prosthetic success? a study seeks answers
- Can bionic limbs feel real? a trial tests touch feedback for amputees
- Can a common anesthetic dampen phantom limb pain?
- Can tiny electrodes give amputees a better grip on bionic limbs?
- FitBit coaching may help amputees walk more after surgery