Scientists create dissolvable brain monitor

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Tuesday 19 Jan 2016 - 12:23 Makkah mean time-9-4-1437 Washington, (IINA) - Researchers created a thin, electronic sensor that can be implanted in the brain after an injury to monitor temperature and pressure, and then dissolve when they are no longer needed, UPI reported. The sensor, developed by scientists at the University of Illinois and Washington University School of Medicine, may also be built into similar monitors that can be used for other organs. Currently, several devices can monitor body activities; however, they can be large, unwieldy, and sometimes require surgery to be removed. The ones that are implanted often carry the risk of infection or rejection by the body, which the scientists said is avoided in the new sensor because the new type dissolves away. "The ultimate strategy is to have a device that you can place in the brain that is entirely implanted, intimately connected with the organ you want to monitor and can transmit signals wirelessly to provide information on the health of that organ, allowing doctors to intervene if necessary to prevent bigger problems", said Dr. Rory Murphy, a neurosurgery resident at Washington University School of Medicine. "And then after the critical period that you actually want to monitor, it will dissolve away and disappear". The study indicated that the devices are made out of polylactic-co-glycolic acid and silicone. It was also mentioned that devices were first tested in saline, which caused them to dissolve within a few days. Researchers then tested the sensor in rats, taking accurate measurements and then seeing them dissolve successfully. The researchers said the next step is to start testing the devices in humans for both safety and accuracy. "With advanced materials and device designs, we demonstrated that it is possible to create electronic implants that offer high performance and clinically relevant operation in hardware that completely resorbs into the body after the relevant functions are no longer needed", said Dr. John Rogers, a professor of materials science and engineering at the University of Illinois. "This type of bio-electric medicine has great potential in many areas of clinical care". AG/IINA