Tiny flexible implant can relieve pain without medication

Scientific research conducted by Northwestern University in the United States resulted in the creation of a new device. promises to relieve pain without the use of opioids or other drugs this is potentially addictive. Small, soft and flexible, the miniature implant works like a cooler, temporarily blocking nerve conduction.

In addition to being fully biocompatible, the device is water-soluble and works by gently “wrapping” the nerves to provide precise cooling at the right time, which numbs the nerve fibers and blocks the sending of pain signals to the brain. By means of an external pump, the patient himself can control this mechanism, It is absorbed by the body when it is no longer needed.

As for the usefulness of this equipment, the researchers say it may be indicated for the postoperative period of routine surgeries or for certain types of amputations that require very strong analgesics. In such cases, devices may be implanted during procedures to function in the rehabilitation phase.

How does a peripheral nerve conduction blocker work?

The lead developer of the device, Professor John A. Rogers of Northwestern, explained in a press release that the technology used is similar. mechanism that causes fingers to go numb when exposed to cold.

The idea is that when a nerve cools, the signals passing through it slow down until they stop, explains Matthew MacEwan, one of the study’s authors. “We specifically target the peripheral nerves that connect the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body,” says the biomedical engineer, emphasizing that by cooling just one or two nerves, “it is possible to modulate pain signals in a certain way.” region. “your body.

But the biggest advantage of this small device, which reaches up to five millimeters wide, is to save neighboring areas and simply, disappears without the need for surgical removal.

ARTICLE Science – DOI: 10.1126/science.abl8532.