Chinese scientists use liquid metal to create ‘X-rat’ in the hope of treating humans with nerve damage
- Implant is designed to work as an electrode, providing a possible solution for artificial nerve therapy and brain-computer interface, say Beijing researchers
- Liquid metal has unique physical properties – the malleability of a fluid and the outstanding conductivity of metal
A research team in Beijing has implanted liquid metal into the body of a rat to induce movement using an artificial signal, with the hope of eventually helping treat humans with nerve damage.
Unlike the fictional adamantium injected into Wolverine in the X-Men films, the liquid metal will not immediately strengthen a rat’s physical power.
Instead, it is designed to work as an electrode, providing a possible solution for artificial nerve therapy and brain-computer interface, according to the researchers.
By injecting a gallium-based liquid metal into a silicone tube, the scientists fabricated an artificial electrode called a cuff electrode.
The cuff electrode, which is then connected to the peripheral nervous system that sends messages from the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body, is used to collect signals from peripheral nerves or, conversely, to stimulate the nerves.
It has traditionally been made with platinum or iridium. This is the first time scientists have tried to make a cuff electrode with liquid metal.
The result seems promising, according to the team led by Tang Rongyu of the Beijing Advanced Innovation Centre for Intelligent Robots and Systems at the Beijing Institute of Technology.
“The excellent performance of the liquid metal cuff electrode shows that it is a promising new type of neural interfacing device,” said Tang in a paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Biosensors and Bioelectronics on August 9.