# Jesse Sullivan

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American electrician (born c. 1966)

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**Jesse Sullivan** (born c. 1966) is an American electrician best known for operating a fully robotic limb through a nerve-muscle graft, making him one of the first non-fictional [cyborgs](/source/Cyborg).

His [bionic](/source/Bionic) arm, a prototype developed by the [Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago](/source/Rehabilitation_Institute_of_Chicago), differs from most other prostheses, in that it does not use pull cables or [nub switches](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nub_switch&action=edit&redlink=1) to function and instead uses [micro-computers](/source/Micro-computer) to perform a much wider range of complex motions. It is also the first prototype which enables him to sense pressure.

## History

As an electrician, Jesse Sullivan accidentally touched an active cable that contained 7,000-7,500 [volts](/source/Volts) of [electricity](/source/Electricity). In May 2001, he had to have both his arms [amputated](/source/Amputate) at the shoulder.

Seven weeks after the amputation, Jesse Sullivan received matching bionic [prostheses](/source/Prostheses) from [Dr. Todd Kuiken](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Todd_Kuiken&action=edit&redlink=1) of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. Originally, they were operated from neural signals at the amputation sites, but Jesse Sullivan developed [hyper-sensitivity](/source/Hyper-sensitivity) from his [skin grafts](/source/Skin_graft), causing great discomfort in those areas. Jesse Sullivan underwent neural surgery to graft nerves, which originally led to his arm, to his chest. The sensors for his bionic arms have been moved to the left side of his chest to receive signals from the newly grafted [nerve endings](/source/Nerve_ending).

While the [prototype](/source/Prototype) is being strengthened, Jesse Sullivan does day-to-day tasks using an older model.

## See also

- [Claudia Mitchell](/source/Claudia_Mitchell)

## References

Wikinews has related news:

- [Thought-controlled cybernetic arms demonstrated](https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Thought-controlled_cybernetic_arms_demonstrated)

- ["Bionic arm 'transformed my life'"](https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4648139.stm) - BBC News

- ["Man With $6 Million 'Bionic' Arm"](https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/OnCall/story?id=895590) - ABCNews

- [Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago](http://www.ric.org/conditions/prosthetics-orthotics/)

- ["The security mechanism project"](https://web.archive.org/web/20150312145930/http://www.pbtplocksmithchicago.com/). PBTP Locksmith Chicago Group. 2010-09-21. Archived from [the original](http://www.pbtplocksmithchicago.com/) on 2015-03-12. Retrieved 2015-03-19.

- Poovey, Bill (2006-09-14). ["Man's fake arm provides hope for GIs"](https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/14/AR2006091400367.html). *The Washington Post*. Retrieved 2006-09-14.

## External links

- [Jesse Sullivan powers robotic arms with his mind](http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/03/22/btsc.oppenheim.bionic/index.html)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Jesse Sullivan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_Sullivan) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_Sullivan?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.