A research team from China has developed a flexible fiber electrode that can be implanted in the brains of animals, allowing its movement to be controlled artificially. This electrode can also function long-term within animal muscle tissue, providing a new type of sensing tool for brain-machine interface technology.
This information was reported on the 17th by the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The related research results were published online on September 17 at 23:00 Beijing time in the prestigious academic journal “Nature”.
In brain-machine interface systems, the electrodes that connect electronic devices to the brain are the core components for collecting brain electrical signals. Currently, traditional flexible electrodes typically collect limited signals from a fixed position after being implanted in the brain, lacking the ability to adjust dynamically.
To better collect signals, researchers aimed to make the electrodes capable of movement. In this regard, researchers from the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Xiamen University, and Donghua University have innovated in the structure and fabrication process of the electrodes.
According to Liu Zhiyuan, a researcher at the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, to develop this flexible fiber electrode that resembles a worm and can be driven artificially, the researchers curled a two-dimensional electrode array on an ultra-thin flexible polymer into a fiber with a diameter of only about 200 micrometers. This slender “worm” integrates 60 independent biological electrical signal acquisition channels. Additionally, a tiny magnetic induction component was embedded in the head of the “worm,” allowing it to move and turn under the guidance of an external magnetic field, accurately reaching target areas.
The researchers have verified the movement capability of this flexible fiber electrode in rabbit brain experiments and its long-term working ability in muscle tissue in rat experiments.
Liu Zhiyuan stated that with further technological development, this flexible fiber electrode is expected to provide more flexible, minimally invasive, and intelligent solutions for clinical needs such as brain-machine interfaces, smart prosthetic control, epilepsy focus localization, and chronic neurological disease management.
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