Implant

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.

When a child receives a replacement heart valve, the device doesn't grow along with them. This means it will have to be surgically replaced, multiple times. Such may not be the case, however, with a new valve that's currently in development.

It can be tricky enough getting titanium implants to bond with the surrounding bone, but when the patient has osteoporosis, things get even harder. An experimental coating may help, though, by first boosting and then blocking inflammation.

If someone suffers from bilateral vestibular hypofunction, it means that their inner ear doesn't maintain their sense balance. As a result, they get dizzy easily. A new implant, however, appears to bypass the problem, significantly reducing vertigo.

Medical implants that help regulate activity in the brain could go a long way to treating conditions like Parkinson's and depression, and scientists have just developed one with some very useful functionality.