Biodegradable Electronic Tent Technology Diagnoses Brain Disease Non-Invasively

High-density, large-area electronic interfaces are essential for brain-computer interface (BCI) technologies. Current diagnostic methods for conditions like epilepsy and Parkinson's disease often involve the use of large brain electrodes, necessitating the removal of a significant portion of the skull. This procedure comes with risks including brain hemorrhage, infection, cerebrospinal fluid leakage, and postoperative intracranial hypertension. There is a pressing need for less invasive alternatives to encourage the broader acceptance of bio and brain engineering technologies. To address this issue, researchers have developed a 'biodegradable electronic tent,' offering a new non-invasive approach to brain disease diagnosis.

The technology proposed in the internationally renowned journal Nature Electronics by scientists at the College of Engineering at Seoul National University (Seoul, Korea) utilizes a needle to implement a biodegradable electronic tent for diagnosing brain disorders. The electronic tent is designed to deploy smoothly between the narrow space of the skull and the brain, spanning a few millimeters. It is made from biodegradable shape-memory polymers and ultrathin biodegradable inorganic electronic devices. Injected through a small opening in the skull, the electronic tent expands to cover a large area comparable to the size of a palm. After serving its diagnostic purpose, the tent naturally dissolves within the body, eliminating the complications associated with permanent medical devices left inside the body, which is a common issue with traditional methods used in diagnosing epilepsy and Parkinson's disease.

Image: Process of minimally invasive large-area brain surface electrode insertion using a biodegradable electronic tent (Photo courtesy of Seoul National University)

The research team demonstrated the functionality of this technology by successfully measuring brainwave signals for two weeks using the biodegradable electronic tent in animal models. They also monitored the biodegradation process of the tent in vivo over a prolonged period, confirming its potential for practical use. The biodegradable electronic tent holds promise for revolutionizing the diagnosis of intractable epilepsy and Parkinson's disease by providing a minimally invasive method for placing electronic devices with a needle. This reduces the risks associated with conventional invasive surgeries and does away with the need for further surgical interventions to remove devices post-diagnosis. The technology is poised to expand its applications beyond epilepsy and Parkinson's to include other brain disorders like stroke and hydrocephalus. Furthermore, by minimizing the invasiveness of electrode insertion used in BCI technologies such as Neuralink's brain implants, it could decrease public resistance to these procedures, enhancing the viability of advanced BCI technologies.

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College of Engineering at Seoul National University