Neural implants are technological devices that directly connects to a biological’s brain for the treatment purposes. Brain implants are aimed to establish a biomedical prosthesis circumventing area in the brain that have become dysfunctional after any head injury or a stroke. Brain-computer interfaces, interface between neural system and computer chip, includes Electroencephalography (EEG) to monitor and record brain’s electrical activity. R&D programs to design such brain implants are on rise that aids in minimizing all the negative impacts of an active implant on brain or on body.
There are various devices designed in order to monitor and control brain health. For instance, Prosthetic Neuronal Memory Silicon Chips, for the creation of long-term memories. And, the tiny electronic sensors that monitors temperature and pressure in the brain after a stroke or injury and then melts away when it is no longer needed. It also eliminates the need for the surgery to remove it and reducing the risk of infection and brain haemorrhage. Moreover, the electrodes implanted in brain aids in the reduction of the symptoms of intrusive tremors concerned with Parkinson’s disease. One of the crucial challenges faced is the size and inflexibility.
In August 2019, a device has been invented by the researchers from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and the University of Washington in Seattle, that is implanted in brain and can be controlled by smartphone. The device regulates neural circuits using a small brain implant regulated by a smartphone. This brain implantable device helps in speeding up the recovery of patient’s that are suffering from brain diseases such as depression, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, addiction, and pain among others. Replicable Lego-like drug cartridges, powerful bluetooth low-energy for connectivity that targets particular neurons with the use of drug, and light for extended periods, are used in the device. The wireless device enables chronic chemical and optical neuromodulation, and is capable to indefinitely deliver multiple drugs and multiple colours that helps in fast curing of brain diseases.
Additionally, to accomplish chronic wireless drug transfer, researchers determined the dangerous challenge of evaporation and enervation of drugs. Moreover, the rigid structure of the conventional brain implant techniques and equipment causes cuts in the soft brain tissues over the time, that is not appropriate for long term implantations. This novel technology overcomes the traditional method that includes the optical fibers and rigid metal tubes for the drug delivery and light. Also, to partly mitigate adverse tissue response, soft probes and wireless platforms were incorporated. Unlike the traditional solutions that were limited by their inability for the long-term drug delivery, and bulky and complex control setups, the new implant promises the long-term drug delivery without harming the brain’s soft tissues. Thus, with the use of such simple and elegant user interface of the implant on a smartphone, the neuroscientists can easily achieve the goal of triggering any particular combination of light and drug without physically operating.
