Nanoprinting electrodes for customized treatments of disease
Carnegie Mellon University researchers have pioneered the CMU Array — a new type of microelectrode array for brain computer interface platforms. It holds the potential to transform how doctors are able to treat neurological disorders.
3D printed at the nanoscale, the ultra-high-density microelectrode array (MEA) is fully customizable. This means that one day, patients suffering from epilepsy or limb function loss due to stroke could have personalized medical treatment optimized for their individual needs.
The collaboration combines the expertise of Rahul Panat, associate professor of mechanical engineering, and Eric Yttri, assistant professor of biological sciences. The team applied the newest microfabrication technique, Aerosol Jet 3D printing, to produce arrays that solved the major design barriers of other brain computer interface (BCI) arrays. The findings were published in Science Advances.
“Aerosol Jet 3D printing offered three major advantages,” Panat explained. “Users are able to customize their MEAs to fit particular needs; the MEAs can work in three dimensions in the brain; and the density of the MEA is increased and therefore more robust.”
MEA-based BCIs connect neurons in the brain with external electronics to monitor or stimulate brain activity. They are often used in applications like neuroprosthetic devices, artificial limbs, and visual implants to transport information from the brain to extremities that have lost functionality. BCIs also have potential applications in treating neurological diseases such as epilepsy, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. However, existing devices have limitations.
There are two types of popular BCI devices. The oldest MEA is the Utah array, developed at the University of Utah and patented in 1993. This silicone-based array uses a field of tiny pins, or shanks, that can be inserted directly into the brain to detect electrical discharge from neurons at the tip of each pin.
Source: Read Full Article