In addition to inflammation, previous microelectrode brain implants made of silicon or microwires have caused neuronal death and glial scarring, which is damage to connective tissue in the nervous system. “The information that we can get out is equivalent, but the damage is much less.” -Ellis MengĪs with any prosthetic implant, caution must be exercised in terms of the body’s natural immune response to a foreign element. “Polymers are gentler on the brain, and because of that, these devices get recordings of neuronal communication over long periods of time.” “The information that we can get out is equivalent, but the damage is much less,” Meng said. Professor Ellis Meng of the USC Viterbi Department of Biomedical Engineering said that the performance of the new polymer-based material is on par with microwires in terms of recording fidelity and sensitivity. However, the long and thin probes can easily buckle upon insertion, making it necessary to add a dissolvable brace made up of polyethylene glycol (PEG) that prevents it from bending. In addition, the polymer-based material, called Parylene C, is less invasive and damaging to surrounding cells and tissue than previous devices comprised of silicon or microwires. What’s more is that each microelectrode array is made up of eight “tines,” each with eight microelectrodes which can record from a total 64 subregions of the brain at once. Researchers at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering have developed thin, flexible polymer-based materials for use in microelectrode arrays that record activity more deeply in the brain and with more specific placement than ever before. The goal: to one day arrive at a complete brain “mapping” - a feat that could unlock tremendous therapeutic potential. Over many decades, multiple research studies have sought to understand the dizzying “talk,” or interconnectivity, between thousands of microscopic entities in the brain, in particular neurons. Science has yet to unravel a complete understanding of the brain and all its intricate workings. With better devices, science can get closer to a more complete picture of how neurons interact for cognitive functionality.
0 kommentar(er)
