Nanotechnology provides a new tool for brain research
30 Oct 2012
Researchers are developing micro devices that use nanotechnology for the treatment of brain disease.
US charity One Mind for Research and Guardian Angels For Smarter Life (GA) are working together to develop the potential of a technology known as the GA Zero Power Biosensor.
The Zero Power Biosensor uses low power nanoelectronics and nano/microsystems that harvest power rather than requiring batteries or power sources.
Potential uses include monitoring of health status, monitoring ambient conditions for environmental danger and ultimately understanding emotional conditions and functional activity.
The researchers hope the technology can be used for studying brain disease.
“Our platform will create the ultimate smart device that will assist us from infancy to old age,” said Prof Adrian Ionescu, co-project leader, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL).
“One of the key features is its zero power requirement as it will scavenge for energy - think of it as recharging using the environment, sun or movement - a technology that will benefit from bio-inspired concepts.”
These autonomous, self-powered sensors, no larger than a band-aid, can uniquely record in a non-invasive way biological and environmental signals and transmit them automatically.
Arrays of the sensors embedded in small, lightweight, wearable devices can be used to continuously collect complex medical and environmental data.
These can serve as a data pipeline to drive mobile health technologies, medical decision support systems, disease modeling and other advances in healthcare.
GA will use the demonstrator platform to bid for a €1bn grant from the EU Future and Emerging Technologies programme.
