Linking the human brain to a computer is usually only seen in science fiction, but now an international team of engineers and neuroscientists at the University of Sheffield (UK), St Petersburg State University (Russia) and Technische Universität Dresden (Germany) have harnessed the power of 3D printing to bring the technology one step closer to reality.
In a new study, the team led by Professor Ivan Minev (Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering, Sheffield) and Professor Pavel Musienko (St Petersburg State University), have developed a prototype neural implant that could be used to develop treatments for problems in the nervous system.
The neural implant has been used to stimulate the spinal cord of animal models with spinal cord injuries and now could be used to develop new treatments for human patients with paralysis. The proof of concept technology has been shown in the study to also fit well on the surface of a brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves and muscles, hence opening possibilities in other neurological conditions.
