New idea for implant
This isn't my idea, I found it posted here: http://feelingwaves.blogspot.com/2009/01/experience-sensation-without-implant.html
I didn't find it anywhere else on here, although I might have just missed it, but I thought I'd share.
by Kelly Reid:
"Wouldn't it be possible to get a piercing on you hand. and then put in a barbell that has magnetic ends. So it would kinda be like an implant but you wouldn't have to worry about rejection because you could change out the magnetic ends for normal one when the tissue gets sensitive."
I think in terms of day to day practicality the idea needs a bot of work, but I can see it being possible. Any thoughts?
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Merkel cells - for very low frequencies (0.3 to 3Hz). since people with magnetic implant reported that static fields are rather difficult to feel, that's probably not what we are looking for.
Meissner's corpuscles - they have their maximum sensivity around 50 Hz, so they are potentially involved with sensing a magnets movement, but they require rather large skin indentation to detect something (20μm). They are located in the epidermis, very close to the actual skin surface. So while they could be involved, they aren't likely to be the key factor here.
Lamellar corpuscles - with a maximum sensitivity frequency of about 250Hz they can sense skin-indentation down to around 2 or 3μm. They are located in the dermis. I sort of remember people with magnetic implants reporting the best sensitivity between 200 and 300Hz (altho i can't find the reference for that anymore, anyone can confirm this?). So these receptors seems to be the one to target.
So the target location would be as close to the lamellar corpuscles as possible without damaging them.
The magnetic particles need to be small enough to get as close as possible.
The amount of force, and thus displacement they can produce increases with volume.
Since those two contradict there's probably a sweet spot in terms of size.
The coating would have to be as thin as safely possible, and made from an bioactive material that binds to the tissue to prevent undesired rotation of the tiny particles.
My best guess would be you end up with ellipsoid particles sized between 50μm to 500μm (with 250μm looking like a reasonable start since too small particles may end up in the bloodstream). With the magnetization axis running along the longest axis of the ellipsoid.
just my 2cent brainstorming tho.
By far more problematic is the size of the magnets. In case you want to remove them because maybe you cut your finger when chopping vegetables and thus, damaged the coating. Removing a bunch of 250μm sized particles that are ingrown with the tissue isn't exactly an easy task. It may be an option to have them FEP coated tho.