Ultrasound Implant Could Help Monitor Spinal Cord Recovery After Surgery

Spinal cord injury can lead to secondary complications when changes near the injured tissue are difficult to monitor after surgery. During early recovery, patients may be immobile, limiting repeated imaging and delaying information needed by intensive care teams to assess perfusion, fluid changes, and treatment response. To improve monitoring at the injury site, researchers have developed a temporary implantable ultrasound device that provides real-time information during recovery.

A Johns Hopkins Medicine team has completed an initial proof-of-concept animal study of the Multimodal Ultrasound System for Injury Care (MUSIC). Designed for temporary placement over the spinal cord during surgery after spinal cord injury, the device is about the size of a small bandage and received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Breakthrough Device Designation in 2023. The findings were published in Science Advances on November 4, 2026.

MUSIC combines diagnostic and therapeutic ultrasound capabilities. Its imaging function is designed to provide real-time information about blood flow and changes around the injury site, while also supporting assessment of spinal fluid, excess fluid accumulation, medication response, and activity outside the injured area. The device is being developed as a “mobile MRI” concept that could reduce the need to move immobile patients during early recovery.

The first feasibility study showed that MUSIC could be temporarily implanted and provide real-time feedback on blood flow and tissue near the implant site. The work builds on earlier research conducted through the Johns Hopkins Holistic Electrical, Ultrasonic and Physiological Interventions Unburdening those with Spinal Cord Injury Innovation Lab.

Further preclinical studies will examine how the device can be optimized to monitor blood flow, tissue changes, spinal changes, and other activity near the injury site. The team designed the device for patients across a range of ages and injury settings, including battlefield wounds, vehicle accidents, falls, and sports injuries.

“When the biology of spinal cord injury is local, our devices should also be able to track and treat local physiology,” said Amir Manbachi, Ph.D., principal investigator and associate professor of neurosurgery and biomedical engineering at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

“Timing is critical for recovery,” said Nicholas Theodore, M.D., former neurosurgeon at Johns Hopkins and current adjunct professor of medicine. “This research represents a fusion of multiple industries, disciplines and applications that we envision has the power to fine-tune and personalize the care that a person receives following their surgery, which could support and improve their health outcomes months and years later.”

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