An international team of researchers has unveiled a hybrid flexible electrode that simultaneously records neural signals, stimulates nerve cells, and delivers drugs directly to targeted brain regions, according to infohub.kz.
The device is called mAxialtrode. It was developed by specialists from the Technical University of Denmark, the University of Copenhagen, and University College London. The implant looks like an ultra-thin flexible needle less than half a millimeter thick.
Three types of channels are combined within a single structure: optical, for delivering light; microfluidic, for precise drug delivery; and microelectrodes, for reading neuron activity at various depths in the brain.
The key advantage of the development is its combination of flexibility and multifunctionality. Traditional rigid implants often provoke inflammatory responses and damage soft tissue. The flexible needle, by contrast, adapts to the brain's natural movements, reducing the risk of rejection. Potentially, one such device could replace several bulky instruments currently used in neuroscience.
The technology has already been successfully tested on laboratory mice. The implant was connected to light sources, measurement equipment, and miniature pumps. Experiments confirmed that the device can stimulate cells with blue and red light while simultaneously recording neural responses and administering drugs.
In the future, mAxialtrode will allow scientists to study the mechanisms of epilepsy, decision-making, and memory formation in greater depth, and will serve as a basis for targeted therapy of neurological diseases.