FUTURE brain implants could be made of squidgy plastic. Sticking electrodes the width of human hairs into the brain is tricky, since any adverse movement of the probes can injure the brain, causing inflammation and preventing the electrodes from picking up signals. In most cases, this means they stop working after a week. So David Martin’s group from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor coated the hard metal probes with a conducting plastic surface, making them softer and less likely to damage brain tissue. When tested in guinea pigs, the plastic probes were better at sticking to brain cells,…
To continue reading, today with our introductory offers
Advertisement
More from Âé¶¹´«Ã½
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending Âé¶¹´«Ã½ articles
1
Autism may have two distinct subtypes that vary by brain activity
2
A quantum state that lasts forever may finally be within our grasp
3
Sperm have been made magnetic to allow IVF inside the body
4
The secrets to keeping your brain sharp in old age
5
Walking shark found in Papua New Guinea is new to science
6
We may have finally solved cosmology's chicken-or-the-egg problem
7
Fully autonomous drones have killed human soldiers for the first time
8
Has the answer to life's origins been hiding in our cells all along?
9
Arctic Ocean reaches tipping point that could be dire for marine life
10
Global map reveals the vast scale of underground fungal networks



