In a minimally invasive procedure on mice, the primary researchers at Penn State University in the US inserted a wireless, biodegradable device into the deep brain region of a mouse.
The device collected data on levels of dopamine, an important neurotransmitter, and other properties of the brain, such as pH levels, temperature and electrophysiology, before harmlessly dissolving back into the body.
Because dopamine is critical in many neural-related conditions, doctors could use a biodegradable sensor to detect the neurotransmitter for a range of treatments and operations.
“The direct measurement of dopamine can be very significant because of the role that neurotransmitters play in a lot of neural-related diseases,” said Larry Cheng, professor in engineering at Penn State and an associate of the Institute for Computational and Data Sciences.
The silicon-based implant includes a type of semiconductor called a two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenide...