A China-led team develops a soft and durable brain implant electrode array, thinner than a hair.
Key facts
- •A China-led team of researchers developed a soft and durable brain implant electrode array.
- •The new electrode array is thinner than a strand of hair.
- •The implant recorded neural activity with clarity in animal trials for 18 months.
- •Traditional electrodes are made of platinum or platinum-iridium alloys and are stiffer than neural tissue.
A team of researchers led by China has developed a brain implant electrode array that is as soft as brain tissue and thinner than a strand of hair. The new flexible brain implant has recorded neural activity with clarity in animal trials and remained functional for 18 months.
Breakthrough in Brain-Computer Interfaces
The breakthrough addresses a major hurdle in brain-computer interfaces, which is the mismatch between electrodes and soft brain tissue. Invasive interfaces deliver the clearest neural signals, but the stiffness of electrodes made of platinum or platinum-iridium alloys causes friction and inflammation in long-term implantation.
Improved Signal Quality
The new flexible brain implant recorded neural activity with unprecedented long-term clarity and remained safely functional inside the body for 18 months, overcoming the decline in signal quality that occurs with traditional electrodes.
This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by South China Morning Post.
