Tiny chips hitch a ride on immune cells to sites of inflammation
9 days ago
- #medical innovation
- #nanotechnology
- #brain implants
- Standard brain implants use penetrating electrodes, requiring surgical procedures.
- Deblina Sarkar's team developed microscopic electronic devices hybridized with living cells, injectable via syringe.
- Initial grant proposals faced 35 rejections due to perceived impossibility.
- After six years, the team succeeded, earning the NIH Director’s New Innovator Award with the highest impact score.
- The technology solves three major problems: miniaturizing electronics smaller than cells, enabling circulation in blood, and surpassing magnetic particle limitations.
- CMOS-based electronics offer advanced functionalities like power generation and computation, unlike simple magnetic particles.