Dustin Tyler, PhD, is a Principal Investigator and the Director of Engineering, Quality and Regulatory Affairs for the Advanced Platform Technology Center at the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center.  He is also the Kent H. Smith II Professor of Biomedical Engineering, and the Director of the Functional Neural Interface Lab at Case Western Reserve University.  As a part of his research into neural interfaces and neuroprosthesis design, Dr. Tyler and his team used funding from the VA and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to design, develop, and test a sensorized hand prosthetic.  The device enables the user to move the prosthesis by just thinking about moving their hand, and provides sensation that feels to the patient like the prosthesis is their hand.

Brandon Prestwood lost his hand following an industrial accident in 2012.  The injury had a profound impact on his life.  Aside from the physical trauma, Prestwood experienced job loss, depression, and even thoughts of suicide.  He found himself wanting to seclude himself from the world.  A few years after the accident, following consultation with his physician and with unwavering support from his wife, Amy, Prestwood met with Tyler to see if he would be a good candidate for the sensorized hand Tyler's team was developing.  Prestwood decided to go through with a procedure that would give him the ability to use this new prosthetic system and regain his sense of touch. 

Listen to the full podcast or read the transcript on Overheard's website:  Episode 20: Restoring a lost sense of touch