Researchers Building ‘Bionic Breast’ to Restore Sense of Touch for Mastectomy Patients
Researchers are on the verge of creating a revolutionary new breast implant capable of restoring the sense of touch to women who have undergone mastectomies. The groundbreaking device is being hailed as a potentially life-changing development for tens of thousands of women across the globe.
The breakthrough comes from a team at the University of California San Diego, led by Prof. Joseph Vacanti and Dr. Mark Ehrenfreund, who claim to have developed a state-of-the-art bionic breast that incorporates advanced electrical sensors and actuators, mimicking the natural contours and movements of a female breast.
In a detailed report, published in a recent edition of the international scientific journal Science Advances, the team described their innovations in unprecedented detail. Explaining that traditional breast implant technology had hitherto been unable to restore more than superficial sensation, Ehrenfreund stated emphatically: “We recognized the importance of touch… The absence of touch significantly affects the self-esteem of mastectomy patients.”
A crucial step towards the team’s ‘bionic’ achievement involved crafting an elastic silicone gel capsule that surrounds a soft, compressible material – precisely replicating the human breast’s mechanical properties. Additional innovations revolve around strategically positioned artificial muscle fibers (actuators), strategically designed so as to allow for discreet manipulation, hence restoring partial sensory capacity to the human brain.
Dr. James A. Spertzel, director of the Texas Tech University Institute for Breast Care, believes this incredible technology holds “game changing potential for post-mastectomy women”, noting their findings: “This means we’re finally getting down to a new level – to get at the same sensation they have with human breast”.
To test, a volunteer trial involving eleven patients undergoing reconstruction after prior mastectomies provided crucial results: a near-perfect simulation of light pressure touch on the areas treated, enabling participants not only to register but interpret sensory signals effectively. What is expected? Improved life quality and boosted selfconfidence among thousands.
