A neural implant provides information about activity deep inside the brain while sitting on its surface. The implant is made up of a thin, transparent, and flexible polymer strip that is packed with a dense array of graphene electrodes. The technology, tested in transgenic mice, brings the researchers a step closer to building a minimally invasive brain-computer interface (BCI) that provides high-resolution data about deep neural activity by using recordings from the brain surface.

The implant is a thin, transparent and flexible polymer strip that conforms to the brain’s surface. The strip is embedded with a high-density array of tiny, circular graphene electrodes, each measuring 20 micrometers in diameter. Each electrode is connected by a micrometers-thin graphene wire to a circuit board.

In tests on transgenic mice, the implant enabled the researchers to capture high-resolution information about two types of neural activity — electrical activity and calcium activity — at the same time. When placed on the surface of the brain, the implant recorded electrical signals from neurons in the outer layers.

Transparency is one of the key features of this neural implant. An implant made using graphene is transparent, which provides a completely clear field of view for a microscope during imaging experiments. (Image credit: David Baillot/UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering)

For more information, visit here  .

Topics:
Anatomy Flexible Sensors Graphene Implants & Prosthetics Medical Medical equipment and supplies Medical, health and wellness Nanomaterials Nanotechnology Nervous system Prostheses and implants

More From SAE Media Group

Medical Design Briefs
Smart Implant Holds Promise for the Blind
Related Article Image
Tech Briefs INSIDER
Thinner Probes Enable Safer Neural Implants
Related Article Image
Medical Design Briefs
Electrical and Antibacterial Hydrogel Developed for Brain Implants
Related Article Image
Medical Design Briefs
Recording Device Could Help Development of Brainwave-Controlled Devices, Including Prosthetics
Related Article Image
    Magazine cover
    Medical Design Briefs Magazine

    This article first appeared in the April, 2024 issue of Medical Design Briefs Magazine (Vol. 14 No. 4).

    Read more articles from this issue here.

    Read more articles from the archives here.