Engineers 3D-Print Soft, Rubbery Brain Implants

Engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed soft, flexible neural implants that can conform to the brain's contours without irritating the surrounding tissue.

The team turned liquid-like polymer solution into a more viscous substance that can be fed through a three-dimensional printer to create stable, electrically conductive patterns.

These flexible electronics could replace metal-based electrodes used to monitor brain activity, and may be useful in brain implants that stimulate neural regions to treat epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, and severe depression.

Said MIT's Hyunwoo Yuk, "This process may replace or supplement lithography techniques, as a simpler and cheaper way to make a variety of neurological devices, on demand."

From MIT News
View Full Article

Abstracts Copyright © 2020 SmithBucklin, Washington, DC, USA