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#Industry News

FLEXIBLE IMPLANT HELPS PARALYZED RATS WALK AGAIN

Ribbon-Like Brain Implant Considered Revolutionary

A team of researchers at Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) has developed a flexible electrical implant that can restore paralyzed rat’s ability to walk. The same team has a previously had success in aiding paralyzed rats to walk and even navigate obstacles using a robotic harness and predictive algorithms. The newest innovation, is an implant that mimics the elasticity of the spine and can work for months. Implants of this type that are not flexible can cause inflammation in the surrounding tissue and thus reduce their effectiveness and limit their lifespan.

The latest implant from EPFL adapts to the body’s movements and contributes a combination of electrical and chemical stimulation. According to Dr. Dusko Ilic of King’s College London “the work described here is a groundbreaking achievement of technology, which could open a door to a new era in treatment of neuronal damage,” but cautions, “there is still a long way to go before we may see any practical use of such neuroprostheses (sic) in humans.”

Details

  • Sankt Johanns-Vorstadt 19, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
  • Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne

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