A new biodegradable sensor, or implantable brain chip, if you will, has been developed by engineers at the University of Illinois.
Comprised of super thin, biodegradable sheets smaller than a grain of rice, the sensor was created to aid doctors in monitoring the brains of patients.
Specifically, the biodegradable sensor could find applications in people who have experienced a traumatic brain injury or who have undergone brain surgery.
The coolest feature of the implantable chip is that while it is recording data, for example, intracranial pressure, temperature, and swelling, it is actually actively dissolved by cerebrospinal fluid, a process that only takes a matter of weeks.
J. Rogers, University of Illinois
Down the road, engineers hope the biodegradable sensor can represent a viable alternative to invasive brain monitoring tools, which would be a major step forward when it comes to brain-monitoring technology.
