An implant that can control the brain through a smartphone

Researchers from South Korea and the USAhas developed a wireless implant that acts on specific areas of the brain. In this, in fact, it would not be surprising, because for a long time there have been a lot of different devices of a similar type. However, the following is of interest in this case: the new device is not just “installed” in the brain. It allows you to control neural connections using ... a regular smartphone.

Why implant implants in the brain?

A variety of brain implants targetprimarily on the identification and treatment of conditions such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer's disease, drug addiction, depression, severe pain, withdrawal symptoms, and so on. It is worth noting that this approach is far from new to the scientific community. They have been doing something like this for quite some time. You can recall the same Neuralink project from Ilon Mask or similar Facebook designs.

This is interesting: Scientists have created an implant to study the work of the brain in real time.

Only here are the usual methods usedToday, neuroscientists include the use of rigid metal tubes and fiber optic cables. In addition to restricting the subject's movements due to the “physical” connection with bulky equipment, their relatively rigid structure over time causes damage to the soft tissues of the brain, which makes them unsuitable for long-term implantation. A new approach will avoid such complications.

What a new brain implant looks like

According to the editors of Science Daily with reference toNature Biomedical Engineering, the new implant consists of a replaceable dose cartridge, microscopic channels and tiny LEDs. In this case, the device is partially "immersed" in the brain tissue, but most of it remains outside. It is also worth noting that the implant can be easily controlled using the regular application on a smartphone. The implant is connected to the phone using Bluetоoth.

The appearance of the implant working you canLook at the photo available at this link. But just in case, we warn that if you are very impressionable, then it is better to refrain from viewing this picture.

Moreover, the design of the device allowsalso solve another problem: the depletion of the drug. The neural device is equipped with a replaceable cartridge for drugs, which allows you to easily add the drug or even replace it without the need to "dismantle" the entire system. Thanks to this approach, neuroscientists can easily provoke any desired reaction in response to drug administration even without the need to physically be close to animals.

This allows us to better analyze neuralthe chains underlying behavior, and how specific neuromodulators in the brain influence behavioral responses. We also strive to use the device for comprehensive pharmacological studies that could help us develop new methods for treating brain diseases. We are interested in the further development of this technology to make a brain implant for clinical use.

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