Neuronal Decoding Algorithm for Prosthetic Limbs

The invention is a new algorithm for decoding neuronal responses based on the discovery that neuronal spike trains can be described using order statistics. The device has applications in the direct control of prosthetic limbs by neuronal signals originating from electrodes placed in the brain. The method allows for decoding neuronal responses by monitoring sequences of potentials from neurons while specific motor tasks are carried out. The sequences are then characterized using the innovative technique of applying order statistics to the spike train, such that subsequent action potentials representing unidentified motor tasks can be decoded to determine the unknown task. The invention is of substantial importance because it appears to have achieved a closed form interpretation of neuronal responses upon which a motor prosthetic device might be based.