Biohybrid neuroimplants based on soft hydrogel electrodes

A paraplegic patient controls a robotic arm with her thoughts. A “locked-in” patient creates letters on a screen using his imagination. Both wear a neuroimplant that reads brain activity via tiny electrodes. These examples show what neuroimplants can already do today.

Dr. Simon Binder's project is dedicated to the development of novel neuroimplants with biohybrid electrodes. These implants use cultured cells to integrate into the brain tissue and create a living interface between the brain's neurons and the readout electronics. One focus is the electrode design. It is based on hydrogels that mimic the mechanical properties of brain tissue. This improves biocompatibility and marks a further step towards potentially lifelong implant retention in the body. The biohybrid approach is also expected to provide a high spatio-temporal resolution of the measured brain activity. This is important for complex applications and new insights into the functioning of the brain.