Scientists have created a transparent implant for the study of the living brain in real time

Scientists from the University of Minnesota have createdA unique see-shells implant for the skull, which will help unravel the causes of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases and, equally important, find these cures, as well as other dangerous diseases. The implant is a solid transparent shell created using 3D printing technology. According to the creators of the implant, such a device helps to look into the head and see how illness or injury affects the entire organ as a whole. A detailed article on the development and research of scientists was published by the journal Nature Communications.

"A new device allows us to visualizebrain activity and interact with a large volume of parts of its surface, in this case, the whole cerebral cortex, ”explains one of the authors of the development of Suhasa Kodandaramayah.

Previously, experts could conduct observationsonly certain areas of the brain to study them in detail. The new tool, See-Shell, will help to study what is happening in one part of the brain and what response to this activity occurs in others.

As an object of study and a candidate forinstallation of a new implant, scientists have chosen the brain of laboratory mice. First, they conducted a digital scan of the surface of the rodent's skull, and then printed their artificial transparent copies on a 3D printer.

After that, the rodents underwent surgery.operation, during which the upper part of the present skull of mice was removed. Her scientists replaced the transparent implant. Such a manipulation allowed researchers to observe the brain activity of animals and to obtain images of the entire organ in real time.

According to the authors of the development, the implant was not rejected by the rodent immune system, which allows for long-term observations of their brains.

"Such studies cannot be conducted in humans,but they are important for our understanding of how the brain works, so that we can increase the effectiveness of treatment for people who have injuries or diseases of the brain, ”commented another author, Timothy Ebner.

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