This Brain Implant Is Smaller Than a Grain of Rice
Today’s neural implants are getting smaller but often remain bulky and prone to issues. Researchers at Cornell University have introduced a new approach detailed in the journal Nature Electronics, presenting a brain implant small enough to fit on a grain of rice.
Microscale Optoelectronic Tetherless Electrode (MOTE)
The MOTE is significantly smaller than comparable implants and could potentially be adapted for use in other sensitive areas of the body. It measures just 300 microns long and 70 microns wide, roughly the width of a single human hair.
How MOTE Works
MOTE encodes brain signals as tiny pulses of infrared light and transmits this information wirelessly through brain tissue and bone to an external receiver, enabling safe communication without invasive wiring.
“As far as we know, this is the smallest neural implant that will measure electrical activity in the brain and then report it out wirelessly,” said Alyosha Molnar, electrical engineer and study co-author.
Development History
Molnar originally conceived an early version of MOTE in 2001, but it took more than twenty years for the project to advance. The implant relies on a semiconductor diode made of aluminum gallium arsenide to function effectively.
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