Soluble implant repairs nerves

Scientists have created an implant to distribute electric impulses to damaged nerves, helping to heal them faster.

The coin-size device wirelessly delivers electrical pulses to damaged parts of tissue and is powered by a transmitter outside the body. This remote controlled semiconductor stimulates nerves on the outer side of damaged tissue or peripheral nerves with weak electric shocks.

When a nerve is healed and no longer requires the assistance of the device, the body's fluids will naturally break it down and it will leave the body like waste. Once implanted in the human body, it works for about two weeks before losing power and dissolving or breaking up into microscopic bits.

The technology works because the production of electricity in small amounts results in the production of growth-promoting proteins, which help outer or peripheral nerves in damaged tissue grow again or regenerate.

In order to pulsate the nerves, scientists created a structure with conductors to enable the travel of electric impulses. They also provided insulation around the structures, and a semiconductor to control the process.

The team chose silicon as the primary raw material since the human body uses it, in addition to its wide use in electronic chips. To conduct electric signals, the team used super thin magnesium.

For insulation, they used biodegradable materials similar to those used in dissolvable stitches, but cellulose or silk could be used in the same environment. Scientists are yet to understand the role that the production of small amounts of electricity plays in the healing of damaged tissue.

In a report published in the journal Nature Medicine, researchers have already tested the device on injured lab rats, helping their nerves to regrow and heal faster than control animals.

“We know that electrical stimulation during surgery helps, but once the surgery is over, the window for intervening is closed.

With this device, we’ve shown that electrical stimulation given on a scheduled basis can further enhance nerve recovery,” said senior author Dr Wilson Ray.

The researchers are in talks with cardiologists on how the device could be applied to temporarily pace the heart during open heart surgeries.