Scientists at the University of California, San Diego have developed a new type of electrodes that will enable them to monitor the brain activity of epilepsy patients outside of the hospital.
The electrodes are designed to monitor the activity of 128 nerve cells deep in the brain, allowing for more comprehensive monitoring.
According to Professor Shadi Dayeh of the university, “We are now focusing on using this technology to monitor the brains of patients with treatment-resistant epilepsy, and our ultimate goal is to make this development by 2026 allow us to wirelessly monitor the activity of nerve cells in patients’ brains first in hospitals, and then at home for a very long period.”
The researchers explained that the developed electrodes consist of extremely thin strips made of several layers of polymer, with other conductive layers made of alloys of gold, chromium, platinum, and silver, connecting these metal structures to nerve cells through a series of special holes in the polymer membrane, allowing each electrode to interact with a very small number of nerve cells with extreme precision.
Experiments conducted by the scientists showed that the structures have a very high level of flexibility and strength, making it possible to print electrodes up to 15 centimeters long based on current semiconductor manufacturing techniques and implant them in the deep layers of the brain.
The scientists tested the performance of the electrodes they produced in experiments involving two volunteers undergoing a special surgery for brain tumor removal, where they implanted the devices deep in the participants’ brains, allowing them to read signals from a large number of individual nerve cells located in the cortex and in the deep layers of the brain’s temporal and frontal lobes.
In the near future, the scientists hope that their development will assist neurophysiologists in studying the mechanisms of epilepsy seizures, as well as other disorders in the nervous system.
