implant

Researchers have developed a technique to implant a thread-like device containing insulin-secreting pancreatic cells in a pocket under the skin. The device reversed type 1 diabetes in mice and didn’t require the administration of anti-rejection drugs. The device could one day provide an alternative to insulin injections.In type 1 diabetes, the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas, called islet cells, preventing the secretion of insulin and necessitating the lifelong…

Stanford Medicine’s clinical trial using deep-brain stimulation offered new hope for those with moderate to severe brain injuries. The treatment significantly improved cognitive functions and daily life activities, showcasing a breakthrough in brain injury treatment. A new technique using deep brain stimulation tailored to each patient exceeded researchers’ expectations in treating the cognitive impairments from moderate to severe traumatic brain injury. In 2001, Gina Arata was in her final semester of college, planning…

Scientists at Johns Hopkins have developed a new spinal stimulator that can help restore lower limb function to paralyzed patients. The tiny device can be non-invasively implanted through a syringe.Spinal injuries interrupt the flow of electrical signals from the brain to the lower parts of the body, reducing mobility and in severe cases leading to total paralysis. Spinal stimulators are devices that can be surgically implanted into a patient’s spine to bypass the injury site and restore some mobility. Unfortunately,…

Neuralink, the Elon Musk-founded company developing implantable chips that can read brain waves, has raised an additional $43 million in venture capital, according to a filing with the SEC. The filing published this week shows the company increased its previous tranche, led by Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund, from $280 million to $323 million in early August. Thirty-two investors participated, according to the filing. Neuralink hasn’t disclosed its valuation recently. But in June, Reuters reported…

Researchers have developed a high-resolution sensor that records brain signals to decode what people are trying to say. While still early days, the device may provide people who’ve lost speech due to neurodegenerative disease with the ability to communicate.Losing the ability to communicate can be a side-effect of debilitating neurodegenerative diseases like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), where cognitive function is preserved, but the muscles that control speech become weak and tight. One solution to restore…

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk's brain-chip startup Neuralink said on Tuesday it has received approval from an independent review board to begin recruitment for the first human trial of its brain implant for paralysis patients.Those with paralysis due to cervical spinal cord injury or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis may qualify for the study, it said but did not reveal how many participants would be enrolled in the trial, which will take about six years to complete.The study will use a robot to surgically place a…

Elon Musk's Neuralink is getting ready to ‘mess' with people's heads - literally! The neurotechnology company received clearance from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) a few months ago and began recruiting volunteers for a groundbreaking procedure in September. However, this also coincided with a troublesome Wired report which raised questions over the nature of the death of Neuralink's test monkeys. Amidst the controversy, the company has reportedly received interest from thousands of applicants.…

A highly experimental implant that delivers electrical stimulation to the spinal cord has substantially improved mobility for one man with advanced Parkinson’s disease, according to a report published today in Nature Medicine. The technology, developed by researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), enables the man to walk fluidly and to navigate terrain without falling — something he couldn’t do before the treatment. Parkinson’s causes uncontrollable movements and difficulty with…

In a development that seems to be straight out of Christopher Nolan's Inception, scientists and researchers have discovered that false memories can be implanted by showing people deepfaked clips of movie remakes that were never actually made…

Smart coatings on orthopedic implants, developed at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, have bacteria-killing nanopillars on one side and strain-mapping flexible electronics on the other. This could help physicians guide patient rehabilitation and repair or replace devices before they fail. Credit: Beckman ITG, University of IllinoisResearchers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have recently developed innovative “smart” coatings for orthopedic surgical implants. These coatings have the ability to…