Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain
System-on-a-nanoparticle are designed to convert the brain’s electrical activity to optical signals detectable outside the body
Researchers have developed nanoscale sensors that could be injected into the body to noninvasively track brain activity using light. The approach could one day offer a new way to study the brain or assess patients’ brain functioning without the need for surgery or implanted devices.
Ali Yanik’s lab at UCSC’s Baskin School of Engineering will report on the technology, called NeuroSWARM3, at the virtual OSA Imaging and Applied Optics Congress held 19-23 July. Neil Hardy, a graduate student in Yanik’s lab, is scheduled to present their findings on Tuesday, 20 July at 20:00 PDT. The congress is co-located with the OSA Optical Sensors and Sensing Congress.
“NeuroSWARM3 can convert thoughts (brain signals) to remotely measurable signals for high precision brain-machine interfacing,” said Yanik. “It will enable people suffering from physical disabilities to effectively interact with external world and control wearable exoskeleton technology to overcome limitations of the body. It could also pick up early signatures of neural diseases.”
The approach offers a new way to monitor electrical activity in the brain using a system-on-nanoparticle probe that is comparable in size to a viral particle. Neurons use electrical signals to convey information to each other, making these signals crucial to thought, memory and movement. While there are many established methods for tracking the brain’s electrical activity, most require surgery or implanted devices to penetrate the skull and interface directly with neurons.
The researchers named their new technology Neurophotonic Solution-dispersible Wireless Activity Reporters for Massively Multiplexed Measurements, or NeuroSWARM3.
The approach involves introducing engineered electro-plasmonic nanoparticles into the brain that convert electrical signals into optical signals, allowing brain activity to be tracked with an optical detector from outside the body.
The nanoparticles consist of a silicon oxide core measuring 63 nanometers across with a thin layer of electrochromically loaded poly (3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene) and a gold coating 5 nanometer thick. Because their coating allows them to cross the blood-brain barrier, they could be injected into the bloodstream or directly into the cerebrospinal fluid.
Once in the brain, the nanosensors are highly sensitive to local changes in the electric field. In laboratory tests, in vitro prototypes of the NeuroSWARM3 were able to generate a signal-to-noise ratio of over 1,000, a sensitivity level that is suitable for detecting the electrical signal generated when a single neuron fires.
“We pioneered use of electrochromic polymers (e.g., PEDOT:PSS), for optical (wireless) detection of electrophysiological signals,” Yanik added. “Electrochromic materials known to have optical properties that can be reversibly modulated by an external field are conventionally used for smart glass/mirror applications.”
NeuroSWARM can be thought of nanoscale electrochromically loaded plasmonic (electro-plasmonic) antenna operated in reverse: instead of applying a known voltage, its optical properties are modulated by the spiking electrogenic cells within its vicinity. Hence, NeuroSWARM3 provides a far-field bioelectric signal detection capability in a single nanoparticle device that packs, wireless powering, electrophysiological signal detection and data broadcasting capabilities at nanoscale dimensions.
The optical signals generated by NeuroSWARM3 particles can be detected from outside of the brain using near-infrared light with wavelengths between 1,000-1,700 nm. The nanoparticles can function indefinitely without requiring a power source or wires.
Other researchers have explored a similar approach using quantum dots designed to respond to electrical fields. Comparing the two technologies, the researchers found NeuroSWARM3 generates an optical signal that is four orders of magnitude larger. Quantum dots required ten times higher light intensity and one hundred times more probes to generate a comparable signal.
“We are just at the beginning stages of this novel technology, but I think we have a good foundation to build on,” said Yanik. “Our next goal is to start experiments in animals.”
In addition to Yanik, the co-authors of this study include UCSC graduate students Neil Hardy, Ahsan Habib, and undergraduate researcher Tanya Ivanov.
Original Article: Tiny, Injectable Sensors Could Monitor Brain Activity without Surgery or Implants
More from: The Optical Society | University of California Santa Cruz
The Latest Updates from Bing News & Google News
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Injectable sensors
- Zai Lab Announces First Quarter 2024 Financial Results and Recent Corporate Updates
Zai Lab Limited (NASDAQ: ZLAB; HKEX: 9688) today announced financial results for the first quarter of 2024, along with recent product highlights and corporate updates.
- Media Release: Sensirion product announcement: miniature liquid flow sensor platform for subcutaneous drug delivery
Media Release: Sensirion product announcement: miniature liquid flow sensor platform for subcutaneous drug delivery 08.05.2024 / 08:08 CET/CEST Media Release 08.05.2024, Sensirion AG, 8712 Stäfa, ...
- Fuel Injection System Market Set to Surge at 9.9% CAGR to US$ 191 Billion by 2032
Global fuel injection system market demand is anticipated to be valued at US$ 74 Billion in 2022, forecast to grow at a CAGR of 9.9% to be valued at US$ 191 Billion by 2032. The Fuel injections system ...
- ‘I’m a mechanic — petrol & diesel drivers can reduce fuel use by checking three sensors’
A coolant temperature sensor also supports better mileage by determining the optimal timing for fuel injection, adjusting the engine’s emissions control systems, and controlling an engine’s idle speed ...
- A magnetic liquid makes for an injectable sensor in living tissue
The researchers used their substance to make liquid bioelectronics that can be injected into the body and later retrieved. These devices seamlessly attach to biological tissue and convert ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Injectable sensors
[google_news title=”” keyword=”injectable sensors” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Nanoscale sensors
- Researcher explains why we should care more about converging technologies
Professor Dirk Helbing of ETH Zurich and Austria's Complexity Science Hub expects future digital technologies to penetrate the human body even more in the future. However, he believes that society is ...
- NASA wants to build futuristic levitating rail on the moon (and much more)
With all the talk about private companies in space, it’s easy to forget just how much groundbreaking research NASA is carrying out. It’s not all about space flight and telescopes, either. Some of the ...
- The Role of Nanotechnology in Air Purification Advancements
The pervasive challenge of air pollution poses significant hurdles, inflicting profound adverse impacts on public health and ecosystems. This challenge is compounded by the presence of harmful ...
- Sensors Bolster Army Prowess
The Terrain Commander from Textron Corporation provides the basis for the U.S. Army's unattended ground sensor (UGS) Future Combat Systems. The sensor assembly is equipped with a variety of optical, ...
- Nanoscale Sensors and their Applications in Biomedical Imaging
The book offers a comprehensive exploration of cutting-edge nano-sensor technologies and their critical role ... from fluorescence-based nanosensors that detect and quantify nanovesicles at the ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Nanoscale sensors
[google_news title=”” keyword=”nanoscale sensors” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]