Implantable Bioelectronic Device Manages Nerve Pain (1 of 2) (VIDEO)
Caption
The Organic Electronics Ion Pump is shown. The device consists of an electronically and ionically conducting polymer electrode inside a fluid reservoir, and an ionically conducting delivery channel leading out of the target region -- for example, the spinal cord. The reservoir is filled with a solution of drugs, neurotransmitters, or other therapeutic substances. When a voltage is applied between the internal electrode and an external counter electrode, substances are "pumped" out of the reservoir, corresponding directly to the electronic current through the control hardware. Only the intended substance is "pumped", no liquid is transported, and there is no backwards flow from the target region. This material relates to a paper that appeared in the May 8, 2015, issue of Science, published by AAAS. The paper, by A. Jonsson at Linköping University in Norrköping, Sweden, and colleagues was titled, "Therapy using implanted organic bioelectronics."
Credit
[Credit: A. Jonsson <i>et al</i>.]
Usage Restrictions
Please cite the owner of the material when publishing. This material may be freely used by reporters as part of news coverage, with proper attribution. Non-reporters must contact <i>Science</i> for permission.
License
Licensed content