2 Prof. Todd Kuiken | Targeted Muscle Reinnervation

Prof. Todd Kuiken developed Targeted Muscle Reinnervation (TMR) – a surgical method to rewire the nervous system of people with amputations to better interface with prosthetic limbs. He is the Emeritus Director of the Regenstein Foundation Center for Bionic Medicine at the Sherly Ryan AbilityLab and an Emeritus Professor at Northwestern University. In addition to his contributions to the treatment of amputees, we talked about how great multidisciplinary medical and engineering teams can be created and the importance of having a clear direction. He also shared some insights on one of the hardest aspects of research - how to decide when to terminate projects and reject bad ideas, and we wrapped up with advices for students.

Interview by Dr. Max Ortiz Catalan, Ph.D., Bionics Professor and Director of the Center for Bionics and Pain Research (Social media: FB, TW, IG, and LI).

Episode timestamps

(00:00) Coming up…

(01:08) Introduction

(05:22) Career path

(07:02) Path leading to Targeted Muscle Reinnervation (TMR)

(09:16) The Center for Bionic Medicine (CBM) at RIC

(10:32) The Shirley Ryan Ability Lab

(11:56) Brining engineers and physicians together

(13:43) Working with different professions

(16:00) Targeted Muscle Innervation (TMR)

(19:00) Mathematical algorithms for decoding motor volition

(21:10) Route to TMR

(24:00) Dissemination of TMR

(24:39) TMR for Pain

(26:40) Regenerative Peripheral Nerve Interfaces (RPNIs)

(28:00) TMR to treat neuroma pain (Ann Surg)

(32:26) Neuroma Pain Vs Phantom Limb Pain

(34:37) TMR’s success rate

(36:00) Targeted Sensory Reinnervation (TSR)

(39:00) TMR as a standard of care

(40:35) Prof. Kuiken’s contribution to the field

(41:20) Further surgical modification for machine interfacing

(43:20) Osseointegration

(45:02) Myoelectric pattern recognition

(45:30) The relation between academy and industry

(48:40) Termination of "bad" ideas

(51:34) Using magnets to control wrist rotation

(43:40) Using magnets for dexterous control (Myokenetic)

(54:57) Neuromusculoskeletal prostheses

(56:20) Future of artificial limbs

(57:40) Wireless implantable electrodes

(59:23) Advice to students