“As engineers, we are motivated by the idea of treating pain without drugs - in ways that can be turned on and off instantly, with user control over the intensity of relief.” - John A. By delivering a cooling effect to just one or two targeted nerves, we can effectively modulate pain signals in one specific region of the body.”
These are the nerves that communicate sensory stimuli, including pain. “We are specifically targeting peripheral nerves, which connect your brain and your spinal cord to the rest of your body. Matthew MacEwan of Washington University School of Medicine in St. “As you cool down a nerve, the signals that travel through the nerve become slower and slower - eventually stopping completely,” said study coauthor Dr. Similar to how evaporating sweat cools the body, the device contains a liquid coolant that is induced to evaporate at the specific location of a sensory nerve. How it worksĪlthough the new device might sound like science fiction, it leverages a simple, common concept that everyone knows: evaporation. Jonathan Reeder, a former postdoctoral fellow in Rogers’ laboratory, is the paper’s first author. He also is the founding director of the Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics. Our implant allows that effect to be produced in a programmable way, directly and locally to targeted nerves, even those deep within surrounding soft tissues.”Ī bioelectronics pioneer, Rogers is the Louis Simpson and Kimberly Querrey Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Biomedical Engineering and Neurological Surgery in the McCormick School of Engineering and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. The technology reported here exploits mechanisms that have some similarities to those that cause your fingers to feel numb when cold. “As engineers, we are motivated by the idea of treating pain without drugs - in ways that can be turned on and off instantly, with user control over the intensity of relief. Rogers, who led the device’s development. “Although opioids are extremely effective, they also are extremely addictive,” said Northwestern’s John A. Surgeons could implant the device during the procedure to help manage the patient’s post-operative pain. The researchers believe the device will be most valuable for patients who undergo routine surgeries or even amputations that commonly require post-operative medications.
After the device is no longer needed, it naturally absorbs into the body - bypassing the need for surgical extraction. An external pump enables the user to remotely activate the device and then increase or decrease its intensity. The biocompatible, water-soluble device works by softly wrapping around nerves to deliver precise, targeted cooling, which numbs nerves and blocks pain signals to the brain. The first-of-its-kind device could provide a much-needed alternative to opioids and other highly addictive medications. A Northwestern University-led team of researchers has developed a small, soft, flexible implant that relieves pain on demand and without the use of drugs.
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