implant

Implants that regulate electrical activity in the brain have been used to treat Parkinson’s symptoms for decades, and lately we’re seeing how they might do so much more. A new design could greatly improve the experience of living with these devices, by using integrated triboelectric generators to convert a user’s breathing movements into electricity.Deep brain stimulation involves implanting tiny wires into targeted areas of the brain to deliver mild electrical pulses, intervening to correct abnormal electrical activity…

Engineers at Duke University have developed a novel delivery system for cancer treatment and demonstrated its potential against one of the disease’s most troublesome forms. In newly published research in mice with pancreatic cancer, the scientists showed how a radioactive implant could completely eliminate tumors in the majority of the rodents, demonstrating what they say is the most effective treatment ever studied in these pre-clinical models.Pancreatic cancer is notoriously difficult to diagnose and treat, with tumor…

Researchers at Stanford University have transplanted human neurons into rat brains, seen them mature into hybridized brain circuits and then used them to influence the rodents’ behavior. The work marks an impressive step forward for neuroscience, and could see rat brains serve as living laboratories for the study of cognitive disorders.When it comes to organs in the human body, the brain is as complex as they come, and by the same token, an incredibly difficult object to study. In recent years we’ve seen scientists make…

Brain cancer is one of the most insidious forms of the disease, but researchers at Stanford have now developed a wireless device that could help improve survival times. When implanted between the skin and skull, the remotely activated device heats up gold nanoparticles to kill cancer from within.Glioblastoma is an aggressive form of cancer with only a 5% survival rate at five years. It’s usually treated by surgically removing the tumor, followed by radiation or chemotherapy to mop up any remaining cells. Unfortunately,…

Treatments for osteoarthritis-related knee pain range from store-bought medication all the way up to total knee joint replacement. The recently trialled Misha Knee System is intended to help fill the gap between those extremes, by acting as an implanted shock absorber.Manufactured by California-based company Moximed, the Misha device looks not unlike a miniature version of the type of shock you might see on a car. Anchored to the inner sides of the femur and tibia bones alongside the knee joint, it incorporates a steel…

Neuralink is finally ready to share more about its work on brain implants. Elon Musk has revealed that Neuralink will hold a "show & tell" progress event on October 31st. He didn't provide any clues as to what to expect, but the last big demo involved a monkey playing Pong. It wouldn't be surprising to see a similar example. A lot may be riding on this showcase. Neuralink still hasn't begun human trials, and the Food and Drug Administration hasn't said how close the company might be to receiving approval. Most of the…

The implant developed by scientists from Linköping University.Photo: Thor Balkhed/Linköping UniversityA team of scientists say they’ve found a new way to help people with damaged corneas: bioengineered implants created from pig skin. In findings from a small clinical trial published this month, the implants were shown to restore people’s eyesight for up to two years, including in those who were legally blind. Should it continue to show promise, the technology may one day provide a mass-produced alternative to donated…

A cornea implant made out of collagen gathered from pig skin has restored the vision of 20 volunteers in a landmark pilot study. Pending further testing, the novel bioengineered implant is hoped to improve the vision of millions around the world awaiting difficult and costly cornea transplant surgeries.More than one million people worldwide are diagnosed blind every year due to damaged or diseased corneas. A person’s vision can be easily disrupted when this thin outer layer of tissue surrounding the eye degenerates.A…

The soft flexible device bends and stretches with the body, without the need for bulky, rigid hardware. Credit: Northwestern UniversityNew device has the potential to provide an alternative to opioids and other highly addictive drugs.A small, soft, flexible implant that relieves pain on demand and without the use of drugs has been developed by a team of researchers led by <span class="glossaryLink" aria-describedby="tt" data-cmtooltip="<div class=glossaryItemTitle>Northwestern…

Brain-computer interfaces have become a practical (if limited) reality in the US. Synchron says it has become the first in the country to implant a BCI in a human patient. Doctors in New York's Mount Sinai West implanted the company's Stentrode in the motor cortex of a participant in Synchron's COMMAND trial, which aims to gauge the usefulness and safety of BCIs for providing hands-free device control to people with severe paralysis. Ideally, technology like Stentrode will offer independence to people who want to email,…