Professor Jang Kyung-in from the Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) announced on the 28th that her research team has developed a brain-implanted wireless neural interface capable of precisely delivering drugs deep within the brain.
The greatest difficulty in treating brain diseases is the protective barrier surrounding the brain, known as the "blood-brain barrier." For this reason, it is difficult for drugs to reach the target area. Although a device for injecting drugs into the brain has been developed, it has limitations as it requires an external pump and tubing, restricting patient movement and making long-term use difficult.
To address this, the research team designed an implantable device with a completely flexible structure. By applying a micropump that mimics gastrointestinal peristalsis and a sloped nozzle-diffuser channel, they implemented precise drug delivery without backflow and enabled real-time adjustment of injection speed and volume through a wireless control module.
The research team conducted experiments on a gel brain model to verify the device's performance. As a result, it was confirmed that the drug was delivered at a constant rate without backflow, and the injection speed and volume could be freely adjusted according to wireless signals. Furthermore, all components were made of soft materials, ensuring compatibility with brain tissue and proving to be stable for insertion and operation.
The brain-implanted wireless neural interface developed through this research is a new platform that can deliver drugs precisely without relying on external equipment, overcoming the limitations of existing methods. In the future, it could evolve into a customized treatment system that monitors brain signals in real time when combined with electrodes or sensors, automatically administering drugs when necessary. It may also be applied in the treatment of refractory brain diseases such as Parkinson's disease and epilepsy.
Professor Jang Kyung-in noted, "The device developed in this study enables precise drug delivery wirelessly to deep areas of the brain," adding, "We will verify its long-term stability for clinical application and expand it into various neural disease treatment platforms."
The results of this research were published on the 9th in the international journal "npj Flexible Electronics."
References
npj Flexible Electronics (2025), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41528-025-00463-y