CLEVELAND — A groundbreaking prosthetic hand that can restore the sense of touch is moving closer to reality for people living with upper limb amputations, thanks to a major federal investment in Cleveland research.

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University and the Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center have received a $9.9 million award from the U.S. Department of Defense to conduct the largest clinical trial yet of their revolutionary prosthetic technology.

The four-year study will enroll 12 people with upper limb amputations to test whether the university's "iSens" neuroprosthetic system — which restores both motor control and touch sensation — significantly improves quality of life compared to standard prosthetic devices.

"People with upper-l

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