Implant

Optogenetics is a very promising technique – among other things, it may one day be used to reduce anxiety, treat addiction, and even reverse blindness. A newly developed device could soon also make it considerably less invasive, and thus more doable.

For many people with arthritic knees, a surgical procedure known as a high-tibial osteotomy (HTO) often brings relief. Thanks to 3D printing technology, however, it could soon be even more effective – and also safer to perform.

Among other things, brain implants are capable of stimulating specific neurons, and of delivering medication to specific regions. An experimental new implant could overcome a common limitation of others, by transforming from rigid to soft states.

Researchers have found a way to maintain insulin levels in diabetic mice by growing and implanting new beta cells that produce the hormone. These cells are housed inside a tiny device that protects them from the immune system, like a shark cage.

Engineers at Columbia University have developed the smallest single-chip system ever created, which can be implanted with a hypodermic needle to measure temperature inside the body, and possibly much more.

We've already seen wirelessly powered implants that are activated by an external transmitter. Taking things a step further, scientists are now able to activate multiple implants sequentially, still using just one transmitting device.

Scientists have used a novel implant to program social interactions between mice for the first time, which they say lays the groundwork for better understanding the way hierarchies and relationships are formed in complex groups of individuals.

While neural implants play a vital role in monitoring or stimulating parts of the brain, they're often attacked by the body's immune system. A new device gets around that problem by being very soft – and it's implanted using a needle made of sugar.

Engineers at University of California, Berkeley have demonstrated a new wireless implant that can detect oxygen levels in deep tissues, with hopes it could become a tool to track the health of transplanted organs, among other applications.

New weapons against so-called “superbugs” are desperately needed. A new black phosphorus coating quickly kills bacteria and fungi, then dissolves within 24 hours – and best of all, bacteria can’t evolve resistance against this mode of attack.

Scientists have developed a new type of smart stent that can help prevent some of the complications these implants bring. The stent is coated in a substance that minimizes the inflammatory response, while promoting tissue repair.

Although cochlear implants do allow some deaf people to hear again, adjusting the devices to individual users can be challenging. An experimental new implant is designed to help in that regard, by reading the user's brain waves.