A wireless neurostimulator could treat chronic pain and neurological disorders

An implant slightly larger than a grain of rice could replace a much larger device that stimulates nerves

Engineers at Rice University, in collaboration with multiple institutions at Texas Medical Center, released the first proof-of-concept results

The magnetoelectric bioimplant, also known as ME-BIT, is surgically implanted, with electrodes sent into blood vessels and directed at nerves for stimulation

The research team successfully tested its technique in an animal model and found that it could be charged, with some implants that communicate just a few centimeters under the skin

The implant, detailed in Nature Biomedical Engineering, could potentially replace current, more invasive devices for treating Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, chronic pain, hearing loss and paralysis

"Because these devices are so small, we can use blood vessels as a highway system, achieving goals that are difficult to achieve with traditional surgery," Robinson said

The ability to power implants with magnetoelectric materials eliminates the need for electrical leads through the skin and other tissues

ME-BIT's wearable charger requires no surgery

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The researchers say the transmitter produces a magnetic field of about 1 milliTesla, which is easily accepted by tissues

"One of the benefits is that all the nerves in our body need oxygen and nutrients, so that means there's a blood vessel within a few hundred micrometers of all the nerves," Robinson said

"Combining imaging and dissection, we can be fairly confident about where to place the electrodes," he said

This study suggests that intravascular bioelectronics like ME-BIT could lead to a range of low-risk, high-precision treatments

Ultimately, the team hopes to take multiple implants and communicate with them simultaneously, Robinson said

article title

A wireless millimetric magnetoelectric implant for the endovascular stimulation of peripheral nerves