www.cbsnews.com |
2010-01-18
Surgeons Demonstrate Technique that Restores Ability to Blink; Could Help Thousands with Facial Paralysis
Medical researchers in California have developed a procedure for implanting artificial muscles that allow people with facial injuries to blink.
If that sounds insignificant, keep in mind that blinking is vital to eyesight. Without the cleansing and lubricating effects of a blinking eyelid, the eye can develop ulcers - leading to blindness.
The development could help thousands of people with facial injuries from combat, stroke, or nerve injury.
The artificial muscles consist of a combination of electrode leads and silicon polymers. Facial surgeons at the University of California, Davis demonstrated the muscles' viability and reported their findings in the January-February issue of the Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery.
In the future, artificial muscles could have broader applications in people with paralysis, giving them the ability to control their face or bladder.
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