Researchers at Stanford University developed a probe that can record the brain’s neuron activity without invasive surgery. The probe, the smallest yet, could be used as a brain-machine interface to set up direct electrical connectivity between a patient’s brain and external electronic devices for improved prosthetic control.
The micro-endovascular probe was tested in rats and shown to move forward smoothly in blood vessels that were less than 100 micrometers in diameter and record single neuron activity without causing any damage. Most recent commercial neural implants have only been introduced to blood vessels more than two millimeters in diameter.
“Since the probe can reach very tiny vessels with thin vessel walls (10-20 micrometers), it can record the neuron activity on the other side of the vessel wall with single-cell resolution,” Anqi Zhang, PhD, first author of the study, told Interesting Engineering.
Recording single-neuron activity from deep brain regions has previously only been possible with surgical implantation directly into the brain tissue, which can have complications.
The device would also benefit patients with drug-resistant Parkinson’s disease and other brain disorders.
“While this is really exciting to us with the potential to impact in a positive way human conditions and diseases, it will take time to translate safely to clinical studies. In a small academic lab setting this could take five years or more, but more resources and individuals focused on the goal, for example in a small company, could definitely speed up the process,” Zhang told Interesting Engineering.
The study, “Ultraflexible endovascular probes for brain recording through micrometer-scale vasculature,” was published in the journal Science.
