Researchers in South Korea have developed a brain implant that wirelessly recharges from outside the body to control brain circuits for extended periods.
Wirelessly charged brain implant tackles disease with light
KAIST
KAIST
Medical implants that help regulate activity in the brain could go a long way to treating conditions like Parkinson s and depression, and scientists at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology have just developed one with some very useful functionality. The device uses light to manipulate targeted neurons in the brain, and thanks to newfound capabilities, can be recharged wirelessly from outside the body.
The device is a continuation of research we looked at last year, where the same group of scientists demonstrated a type of plug-and-play brain implant that uses tiny LEDs to alter the behavior of brain cells that are sensitive to light. These are fixed to very fine probes around the thickness of a human hair, which can also be used to deliver drugs to the organ.
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Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
Researchers have invented a smartphone-controlled soft brain implant that can be recharged wirelessly from outside the body. It enables long-term neural circuit manipulation without the need for periodic disruptive surgeries to replace the battery of the implant. Scientists believe this technology can help uncover and treat psychiatric disorders and neurodegenerative diseases such as addiction, depression, and Parkinson’s.
A group of KAIST researchers and collaborators have engineered a tiny brain implant that can be wirelessly recharged from outside the body to control brain circuits for long periods of time without battery replacement. The device is constructed of ultra-soft and bio-compliant polymers to help provide long-term compatibility with tissue. Geared with micrometer-sized LEDs (equivalent to the size of a grain of salt) mounted on ultrathin probes (the thickness of a human hair), it can wirelessly manipulate target ne