A tiny, inflatable implant that can be injected into the spinal column could provide long-term relief from chronic pain. It works by emitting electri

Inflatable implant injected into the spine could relieve chronic pain

submited by
Style Pass
2021-06-30 12:00:08

A tiny, inflatable implant that can be injected into the spinal column could provide long-term relief from chronic pain. It works by emitting electrical charges that signal the brain to stop perceiving the pain.

Spinal cord stimulation to control chronic pain in the body, arms or legs isn’t new, but its effectiveness has been hampered by practicality issues, says Damiano Barone at the University of Cambridge. In order for such devices to work well, they must have up to 32 electrodes that snuggle up to the spinal cord.

That requires a relatively large implant, measuring about 12 millimetres wide, which requires complex surgery under general anaesthesia. It also carries risks, like spinal cord damage, and involves removal of part of the spinal column – factors that might outweigh the benefits of such an implant.

Now, Barone and his colleagues have developed an inflatable device that would only necessitate minimal surgery under local anaesthesia. It is made of ultra-thin plastic and pure gold sheets, rolling up to a thickness of less than 2 millimetres– so small, it can fit inside a moderately-sized needle.

Leave a Comment