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Brain activity sensors made of an organic material that is 100% biocompatible. (Source: P Hirsch/Inserm)
To treat neurological disorders such as epilepsy it is necessary to act at exactly the right time and place in the brain.
The epilepsy drugs can become ineffective if not administered accurately or indeed the drugs themselves may be toxic to other organs.
A team of researchers led by Christophe Bernard at Inserm Unit 1106, “Institute of Systems Neuroscience” (INS), with the help of scientists at the École des Mines de Saint-Étienne and Linköping University in Sweden have developed a biocompatible micropump that makes it possible to deliver therapeutic substances directly to the relevant areas of the brain.
The micropump incorporates a membrane which has negative ions attached to its surface. It thus attracts small positively charged molecules, whether these are ions or drugs. When an electrical current is applied to it, the flow of electrons generated projects the molecules of interest toward the target area.
“By combining electrodes, such as those used to treat Parkinson’s disease, with this micropump, it may be possible to use this technology to treat patients with epilepsy who are resistant to conventional treatments, and those for whom the side-effects are too great,” said Christophe Bernard, Inserm research director.
The same team have also designed an organic device for sensing brain activity. The medium, which is only a few microns thick, is as thin and flexible as cellophane, and yet very tough.
The device could be used to detect the imminent occurrence of a seizure, in order to activate the pump to inject the drug at just the right moment. It may therefore be possible to control brain activity where and when it is needed.
