CHICAGO: It’s the stuff of science fiction: a prosthetic arm that can be moved just by thinking about it and can feel heat and the pressure of a handshake.

It became a reality for US Marine Claudia Mitchell two years after she lost her arm to a motorcycle, researchers said last week.

The bionic arm is controlled by rerouting nerves in Mitchell’s shoulder to healthy muscles in her chest. This targeted muscle reinnervation directs the signals once sent to the amputated arm to the robotic arm via surface electrodes that respond to Mitchell’s thoughts.

“Before the surgery, I doubted that I would ever be able to get my life back,” said the 26-year-old Mitchell, who has become the world’s first bionic woman.

“But this arm and the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago have allowed me to return to a life that is more rewarding and active than I ever could have imagined,” she said. “I am happy, confident and independent.”

The first major advancement in prosthetics since World War II, the bionic arm allows amputees a significantly higher level of functionality. They can open jars, reach up to high shelves and dress themselves with more ease.

Researchers are hoping the bionic arms can be used to aid the more than 400 people who lost their limbs while serving in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

“It is so rewarding for me as a physician and a scientist to lead research with the potential to positively impact the lives of amputees, including our US service men and women,” said Dr. Todd Kuiken who developed the technology as director of the rehabilitation institute’s Neural Engineering Centre for Bionic Medicine.

“On behalf of RIC, my team and I consider it a great honour to be able to serve our country and the individuals with disabilities around the world in this way.”

Since the inception of the bionic arm in 2002, six amputees have gone through the targeted muscle reinnervation process and all but one have been successful in achieving thought-controlled movement.

A former football player who lost both his limbs, Jesse Sullivan was the first person to undergo the experimental nerve-transfer procedure for the purpose of improving prosthetic control in 2005.—AFP