Diagnosis plus treatment
The new brain implant simultaneously measures the activity of neurons and delivers medications
Tatiana Matveeva, "Scientific Russia"
A group of Korean researchers from the Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) has developed a multifunctional implant that can simultaneously register the activity of neurons and deliver liquid medications to the implantation site. Unlike existing rigid devices, this chip has a flexible three-dimensional structure, the DGIST press service reports. The development is described in more detail in the journal Microsystems & Nanoengineering (Kang et al., A 3D flexible neural interface based on a microfluidic interconnection cable capable of chemical delivery).
In the new implant, a set of microneedles is used to collect several neural signals, and thin metal conducting lines transmit these signals to an external circuit. Scientists managed to turn on microfluidic channels in a plane parallel to the conducting lines. These channels are connected to a small tank (in which the injected drugs are located) and can carry a constant flow of fluid to the microneedles.
The team tested their device in experiments on live rats, after which they analyzed the concentration of the drug in the tissue around the needles. The overall results turned out to be promising: the flexibility and functionality of the new device make it more compatible with biological tissues and increase the service life of the neural interface.
The development of reliable multifunctional brain implants is important for creating brain-machine interfaces that allow paralyzed people to move robotic arms or legs using their thoughts, as well as for the treatment of neurological diseases with electrical and/or chemical stimulation for many years.
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