Wireless drug delivery to the brain achieved in mice using a smartphone

Researchers from South Korea and the USA have created a device that is able to manipulate neural circuits via a small brain implant controlled by a smartphone.   The research, which has been published in Nature Biomedical Engineering, utilizes a Lego-like replaceable drug cartridge and powerful Bluetooth low-energy to target specific neurons of interest using drug and light for prolonged periods.   According to lead author Raza Qazi (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology [KAIST], Daejeon, South Korea), this new technology significantly overshadows current methods used by researchers. To deliver drugs and light, conventional methods typically involve rigid metal tubes and optical fibers. Not...