Folded solution: Advancing brain-computer interfaces
ByDr. Tim Sandle
DIGITAL JOURNAL
September 2, 2024
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a neurosurgical procedure involving the placement of a medical device called a neurostimulator. — Image by Hellerhoff, via Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0)
‘Origami-inspired’ folding electrodes could reduce surgery needed to treat brain conditions, according to a new study. This is based on data collated by a research team led by the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge.
The researchers have created new ‘origami-inspired’ brain electrodes that can fold up to a fraction of their full size. This advance could significantly reduce the amount of surgery needed to treat conditions such as epilepsy, or to install brain-computer interfaces.
Measuring brain electrical activity is essential to accurately diagnose and treat conditions such as epilepsy. However, this often requires surgeons to cut out a large window in the skull (a craniotomy) to place electrodes directly onto the brain surface.
This highly invasive procedure typically entails a prolonged recovery period and poses severe infection risks.
The new study, published in Nature Communications, demonstrated that using a folding design for brain electrodes could reduce the incision area needed by about five times, without affecting functionality.
Senior author Associate Professor Christopher Proctor (Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford) explains: “This study presents a new approach to directly interfacing with large areas of the brain through a key-hole like surgery. The potential significance of this work is two-fold.”
With these benefits, Proctor states: “First, there is the promise of a less invasive diagnostic tool for epilepsy patients. Second, we envision the minimally invasive nature will enable new applications in brain machine interfaces.”
When fully expanded, the device resembles a flat, rectangular silicone wafer with 32 embedded electrodes, attached to a cable. The wafer – around 70 microns thick (about the width of a human hair)- is then folded up, accordion-like, enabling it to fit through a slit just 6mm across.
Once in position on the brain surface, a pressurised fluid-filled chamber in the wafer inflates and unfolds the device to cover an area five times larger, up to 600 square millimetres.
In comparison, applying a non-folding device of the same size would typically require cutting out an area of at least 600 square millimetres from the skull.
The researchers confirmed the device’s functionality by testing it on anaesthetised pigs, using facilities at the Universities of Cambridge and Bologna. This demonstrated that the unfolded electrodes were able to accurately detect and record brain activity.
According to the team, the device could potentially start to be used to treat human patients within a few years. Around 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, which carries a risk of premature death up to three times higher than for the general population (according to the World Health Organization).
According to the researchers, the fold-up design could also reduce the amount of surgery needed to install brain-computer interfaces, which could benefit people with disabilities as well as optimise human-computer interactions.
ByDr. Tim Sandle
DIGITAL JOURNAL
September 2, 2024
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a neurosurgical procedure involving the placement of a medical device called a neurostimulator. — Image by Hellerhoff, via Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0)
‘Origami-inspired’ folding electrodes could reduce surgery needed to treat brain conditions, according to a new study. This is based on data collated by a research team led by the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge.
The researchers have created new ‘origami-inspired’ brain electrodes that can fold up to a fraction of their full size. This advance could significantly reduce the amount of surgery needed to treat conditions such as epilepsy, or to install brain-computer interfaces.
Measuring brain electrical activity is essential to accurately diagnose and treat conditions such as epilepsy. However, this often requires surgeons to cut out a large window in the skull (a craniotomy) to place electrodes directly onto the brain surface.
This highly invasive procedure typically entails a prolonged recovery period and poses severe infection risks.
The new study, published in Nature Communications, demonstrated that using a folding design for brain electrodes could reduce the incision area needed by about five times, without affecting functionality.
Senior author Associate Professor Christopher Proctor (Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford) explains: “This study presents a new approach to directly interfacing with large areas of the brain through a key-hole like surgery. The potential significance of this work is two-fold.”
With these benefits, Proctor states: “First, there is the promise of a less invasive diagnostic tool for epilepsy patients. Second, we envision the minimally invasive nature will enable new applications in brain machine interfaces.”
When fully expanded, the device resembles a flat, rectangular silicone wafer with 32 embedded electrodes, attached to a cable. The wafer – around 70 microns thick (about the width of a human hair)- is then folded up, accordion-like, enabling it to fit through a slit just 6mm across.
Once in position on the brain surface, a pressurised fluid-filled chamber in the wafer inflates and unfolds the device to cover an area five times larger, up to 600 square millimetres.
In comparison, applying a non-folding device of the same size would typically require cutting out an area of at least 600 square millimetres from the skull.
The researchers confirmed the device’s functionality by testing it on anaesthetised pigs, using facilities at the Universities of Cambridge and Bologna. This demonstrated that the unfolded electrodes were able to accurately detect and record brain activity.
According to the team, the device could potentially start to be used to treat human patients within a few years. Around 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, which carries a risk of premature death up to three times higher than for the general population (according to the World Health Organization).
According to the researchers, the fold-up design could also reduce the amount of surgery needed to install brain-computer interfaces, which could benefit people with disabilities as well as optimise human-computer interactions.
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