Electrical “nerve cuff” could help treat chronic disease

NanoClipCouldTreatDisease
Tiny device implanted in the body delivers electrical signals to the nervous system

Original source: physicsworld.com

A tiny device that is implanted in the body and delivers electrical signals to the nervous system has been created by Timothy Gardner and colleagues at Boston University in the US.

Described as a “nerve cuff” or a “nanoclip”, the device is designed to stimulate nerves as part of the treatment of a range of disease including diabetes, polycystic ovarian syndrome, asthma and cancer.

The implant is currently being tested in small animals and is therefore very small – measuring just 200 nm to target nerves that are as small as 50 μm in diameter.

The devices are made using a laser writing technique, which the team says allows the nanoclips to be designed for use in keyhole surgery.

The devices were tested by implanting them on the hypoglossal nerves of zebra finches. This is the nerve that control’s the tongue of the birds and it therefore plays a crucial role in how they sing.

Writing in the Journal of Neural Engineering, Gardner’s team says that studies of the finch’s birdsong revealed no change due to the presence of the nanoclips. This, they say, suggests that the implant is safe to use.