In 1974 I talked with the chief of surgery at the Cox Medical Center in Springfield, Missouri. I mentioned intra-body nerve transplants which would take a nerve from one part of the body and transplant it to another part and the nerve bypass which would be a solid-state device that could bridge the gap between functioning nerves. Back then I thought there might need to be transformers to step up and then step down the signals so as not to burn out the nerves. He told me that neither were possible. Since then, the first has been done. I believe the second will be done in the near future if someone or a research group can successfully make a nerve bypass or can construct a biosynthetic nerve cell. With stem cell research bringing miracles, maybe that could be used to regenerate nerve cells.
Today's nerve bypass would use biojunctions to connect into the nerve cells. An electrochemical reaction similar to what happens normally would reduce the need for extra energy for the artificial nerves. Even chemical lasers might be used in conjunction with fiberoptic threads. A small amount of energy from artificial sources may be needed.
Ray Bradbury wrote about a man that had his nervous system hard-wired so he would have instant reflexes. That could be a possibility. Since signals come from the brain to cause the nerves to transmit signals, a solid connection would allow signals to travel at near the speed of light. With the ability to form threads narrower than the nerves, it may be possible to have people hard-wired.
With all the advancements in micro-surgery and devices smaller than the tissue in the human body, we should have a cure for paralysis within a few years. Replacing damaged nerve cells with synthetic ones might be no more difficult than common invasive surgery. Devices like stimulation wiring that could be implanted next to muscles in the place of nerves would require extra energy that could be produced by batteries or chemical catalytic devices that use substances in the bloodstream to produce energy. But I don't see many reasons why we can't treat paralysis and nerve damage successfully within the next few years. I've believed it was possible for over 1/3 of a century.
