
FDA to begin testing controllable robotic arms in the near future
The notion of having robotic extremities, specifically arms, may not be far fetched. The Food and Drug Administration will be reviewing one of medicine’s latest technologies, robotic arms, which will be controlled by microchips, inserted in a patient’s brain.
The designer of the robotic arm is an agency, which is a part of the pentagon who foresees the use of the prosthetic for those whose arms have been amputated, or for those who had suffered the consequences of spinal-cord injuries or stroke. This new technology will be able to give the user good control of the whole arm, saying that it may almost be like having normal arms.
The robotic arm is ready for testing and the microchip will probably be undergoing trials in six months. The FDA will be involved in designing the trials and most importantly, in assessing its success or if it will need to be modified.
Prior to this, the FDA already had plans in speeding up reviews for advancements in medical technologies. The robotic arm should be the first step in alleviating the FDA’s delays in implementing this.
In line with this, the FDA has already announced a public meeting, the Innovation Pathway, where technologies that have the potential to improve patient and health care were invited. If qualified, the products would be given a case manager from the FDA, who would help in its evaluation and further development.