Thursday, March 13, 2008

Implant quantity and placement

I'm planning to start with a single implant. Since the coating has never been tried in this application (at least not that I know of) I want to have any failures happen in a single location, rather than multiple ones. As far as placement, I have decided upon the ring finger of my right hand. I decided to do so based on several general ideas:

It cannot be located in a region that experiences frequent pressure or forces. This means the tip of the finger is out, as is the "pad" of the finger. Things such as operating power tools and strongly gripping/pulling/pushing should not put the implant or myself in danger.

It must be located in a region which is has a high concentration of nerves. Since the goal of the procedure is to gain a sixth sense, the location should be as sensitive as possible. Somewhere near the tip of the finger is generally accepted as the best location.

It must not stick out or leave a visible bump. This is not just for the aesthetic considerations. If it sticks out, it is at higher risk for impact and damage, both to the implant and to my finger.

It cannot interfere with the ability to play a guitar. I initially was going to place the implant in my non-dominant hand, my left. However, I play guitar, which involves mashing every part of every finger of the left hand (except the thumb) against the strings, sliding up and down, etc. Additionally, I'm interested if I can affect the sound of the guitar by using the implant to affect the electromagnetic pickups or steel strings.

No comments: