Graphene Could Expand Brain Implants

A material called “graphene,” which is the thinnest material known to humans, was successfully placed on a human brain for the first time — potentially unlocking a host of new therapies for neurological conditions.

The Big Thought: Brain implants are all the rage these days (partly due to the hype around Elon Musk’s Neuralink), but they inherently seem like the realm of science fiction. The safest, most effective, and most non-invasive technologies will ultimately be the ones that win over patients.

Between the Ears: After University of Manchester researchers Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov won a Nobel Prize in 2010 for figuring out how to isolate graphene, the material has been used in every technology imaginable. Now, it was trialed on the most powerful interface of all — the human brain.

• A tape of graphene (a layer of carbon half the thickness of human hair) was temporarily put on a patient at the University of Manchester during a surgery to remove a tumor — ensuring only cancerous portions of the organ were removed.
• The tech, developed by Spanish company InBrain Neuroelectronics, is the most cutting-edge way to decode the brain’s electrical signals because its flexibility allows it to morph and bend with the soft tissue.

The Future: Mapping the brain is just the tip of the iceberg of InBrain’s ambitions. It can be combined with electrodes to provide deep-brain stimulation (DBS), which can be used to treat Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, stroke, and more. DBS is already an approved therapy, but InBrain’s material is allegedly more precise and 200x stronger than current devices.

And since the material also lasts longer than current metal-based ones, InBrain could be on the path of improving the quality of life for millions of people at a cheaper cost to them and insurance companies. Mind-blowing.