
Syringe injectable electronics (2015) - RangerScience
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4591029/
======
RangerScience
Hot damn, this got a lot of points, but no discussion.

The basic TL;DR is that they figured out a thing that works really, really
well as a neural implant material (a mesh). They spent a lot of time figuring
out the ideal details for this mesh, and a bunch more time looking at how it
interacted with the brain.

Here's some TL;DR from the bulk of the paper:

Normal implants have the issue that the don't move the same way as brain
tissue, so anything that jostles the brain causes the implant to carve paths
through the brain. Since this is a mesh, it moves _with_ the brain.

Injecting a "normal" mesh, you just get a sort of tube of stuff where you
injected it. Because of the shape of this mesh, it tries to uncoil; but does
so slowly enough that it doesn't damage the brain tissue. One of the major
points of the study is the specifics of this mesh (which is basically just an
angle).

Because it's a mesh, neurons actually really like growing on it, so they form
a bunch of handy connections to it.

One fun thing you can then do is grow brain tissue in the petri dish with the
mesh, and you'll get something with real nice connections.

As an aside, this is actually the first paper that I went: "Fuck it, I'm going
to read Science"; that it was actually so unexpectedly accessible has started
a trend of actually reading the science behind things. I recommend it!

------
chatmasta
Looks like this is the technology behind Elon Musk's recent Neuralink [0]
venture (investment?)

[0] [http://www.theverge.com/2017/3/27/15077864/elon-musk-
neurali...](http://www.theverge.com/2017/3/27/15077864/elon-musk-neuralink-
brain-computer-interface-ai-cyborgs)

------
nine_k
I can imagine a hearing aid installed by injecting the electrodes right into
the nerves, and then passing the audio signal electronically.

I wonder if this is going to help e.g. paralyzed patients to re-wire (some of)
their muscles. Will likely help to wire up prosthetic limbs.

~~~
RangerScience
Yes and no?

(Disclosure: I are software dev and do not know medical anything but can read
good, so I just do a lot of that)

Neural implants ALREADY re-wire muscles; more, they can actually stimulate
nerve regrowth (you trying to use those paths actually help them recover; Kill
Bill style). I don't see this improving that effect, except that it's a better
form of implant (less downsides)...

...however, I wouldn't be surprised if it was better _enough_ than existing
implants that you can do something new; namely, make artificial nerves to
replace damaged ones... and I wouldn't be further surprised if the effects of
the mesh act as a scaffold to promote cell regrowth, like the 3D printed
organs.

~~~
therein
LTP is a wonderful thing. Your brain grew that network before and now it is
fading away. The only thing stopping you from replicating it is the missing
medium and if we provide that before you lose the network, it may be able to.

~~~
Noseshine
It's been a while since my various neuroscience lectures/courses, but as far
as I remember LTP only refers to the process of strengthening existing
synaptic connections, not the forming of new ones. The process of forming new
connections is called synaptogenesis.

That's just nit-picking about terms though, it is clear enough what you mean -
except that growing the exact same network still doesn't give you the exact
same synaptic strengths of each connection. And I don't know what you mean by
replicating the existing network - do you mean a technique to recreate the
exact same neural network? But even if you manage to do that, where are the
boundaries, how do you know which connections matter and where do you stop? I
probably don't understand your plan though.

------
ExactoKnight
How much damage to surrounding brain cells would (could) occur from injecting
this into someone's brain?

~~~
T-A
Enough that it is not considered a viable approach for general purpose BCIs in
adult subjects. You can get away with injecting one to study or affect a small
localized region, but that's about it [source: chat with a Lieber lab
collaborator].

Unless of course you get Cultured and put it in place at the embryonic stage,
so the brain grows into it.

~~~
gpderetta
'cultured' as in 'cell culture' or as 'embraced by the Culture' (where the
'neural lace' comes from)?

have an upvote.

/dontexplainthejoke

------
gervase
This article is from 2015 - could we get a date tag on the title?

------
westmeal
Oh wow. This could be extremely useful for the medical field. Where can I get
a watch injected into my wrist?

~~~
lgas
Shenzhen

------
littledouglas
What's stopping a malevolent AI from controlling humans who are connected via
neural lace?

~~~
userbinator
Forget AI, for me this is evoking visions of government-mind-control
creepiness.

~~~
jclardy
This is the more likely scenario.

