A collaboration of researchers between Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard Medical School has resulted in the development of highly flexible and stretchable optical fibre for use in biomedical implants within the human body.
The fibre can be used to measure strain, detect signs of disease, or directly treat cells in the human body, especially in the brain. The optical fibre is based on hydrogel, a material made up mostly out of water.
The implants are long lasting and can remain within the human body for extended periods of time. One of the major use case scenario is in a field of medical science known as optogenetics. Here, pulses of light are used to directly activate cells, especially neurons in the human brain. Very thin needle like fibers are used for this purpose. The brain is made up of jelly like material that can be easily damaged by stiff optical fibers. The flexible fiber can allow for therapy over longer durations of time.
Xuanhe Zhao, the Robert N. Noyce Career Development Associate Professor in MIT’s Department of Mechanical Engineering says, “The brain is like a bowl of Jell-O, whereas these fibers are like glass — very rigid, which can possibly damage brain tissues. If these fibers could match the flexibility and softness of