Flexible nanoelectrodes can provide precise brain stimulation

Science and Technology Daily, Beijing, June 1st (Reporter Zhang Mengran) - Traditional implantable medical devices designed to stimulate the brain are usually too hard and bulky for the softest and most fragile tissues in the body. To address this issue, engineers at Rice University in the United States have developed minimally invasive, ultra flexible nanoelectrodes that can serve as implantation platforms for long-term, high-resolution stimulation therapy

Science and Technology Daily, Beijing, June 1st (Reporter Zhang Mengran) - Traditional implantable medical devices designed to stimulate the brain are usually too hard and bulky for the softest and most fragile tissues in the body. To address this issue, engineers at Rice University in the United States have developed minimally invasive, ultra flexible nanoelectrodes that can serve as implantation platforms for long-term, high-resolution stimulation therapy. The study was published in the latest issue of the journal Cell Reports.

This micro implantable device forms a stable, long-lasting, and seamless tissue electrode interface, with the smallest scar formation in rodents. Compared to stimuli from traditional cortical electrodes, the electrical pulses transmitted by these devices are closer to the neuronal signal patterns and amplitudes.

The high biocompatibility and precise spatiotemporal stimulation control of this device can promote the development of new brain stimulation therapies, such as neural prostheses for patients with sensory or motor dysfunction.

The new study uses imaging, behavioral, and histological techniques to demonstrate how these tissue integrated electrodes improve the effectiveness of stimulation. The new electrode emits tiny electrical pulses that excite neural activity in a very controllable manner, reducing the current required to activate neurons by more than an order of magnitude. The duration of the pulse is only a few hundred microseconds, and the amplitude is only one to two microamps.

Researchers claim that the new electrode design represents a significant improvement in traditional implantable electrodes used to treat diseases such as Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, which may lead to adverse tissue reactions and unexpected changes in neural activity. The ability to adjust the frequency, duration, and intensity of signals can promote the development of new sensory prosthetic devices.

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Stimulation through traditional electrodes can be said to be strong and destructive. For example, it's equivalent to using a speaker to play a harsh sound towards a room full of people. But now with the advent of new electrodes, everyone has a headphone. It is as safe, reversible, and effective as traditional methods, but it can significantly reduce current and make neuronal activation more concentrated. Not only can it improve the health and quality of life of patients with neurological disorders, but scientists will also transform it into higher resolution brain stimulation devices in the future.

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