- UF is leading a team that is developing a battery‑free, needle‑injectable neural stimulator.
- Rat trials show reliable nerve activation and minimal tissue response.
- The approach promises less invasive treatments for pain and neurological disorders.
A team led by University of Florida researchers is developing an injectable implant to stimulate nerves without batteries or wires. The research stands to improve treatment for chronic pain and neurological disorders.
The implant is injected into the body and powered wirelessly by a small, wearable — and removable — transmitter worn outside the body that transmits energy through the tissue.
“In our study, we demonstrated that the implant could be placed next to the sciatic nerve in rats and wirelessly activate the nerve and produce muscle responses. We also found that it remained in position with minimal visible tissue response during the study,” said project lead Adam Khalifa, Ph.D., the Dean Wayne Chen Faculty Fellow and an assistant professor in UF’s Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, known as ECE.
These tiny stimulators are injected into the body with a needle. The wearable transmitter, in turn, is smaller than a baseball card and is affixed to the skin near the implant with an adhesive. The battery is in the transmitter, which takes advantage of the fact that the body’s tissues naturally conduct electricity to send energy through the tissue and power the tiny implant.