US researchers have developed a sensor-embedded plastic wrap that allows for safer and more accurate brain surgery. The new wrap, which is made of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), has been tested in mice with glioblastoma multiforme, the most common form of brain cancer. The device is about a thousand times thinner than existing clinical tools and also has a far higher electrode density, meaning the device can sit closer to the brain and provide better readings.
US researchers have developed a sensor-embedded plastic wrap that allows for safer and more accurate brain surgery. Scientists at the University of California, San Diego and Massachusetts General Hospital have created a new brain mapping tool, which is based on a conductive polymer rather than the usual metal electrodes. The device is about a thousand times thinner than existing clinical tools and also has a far higher electrode density, meaning the device can sit closer to the brain and provide better readings.