Rice researchers develop miniature brain stimulator, demonstrate its utility

A team of engineers at Rice University  have developed the smallest implantable brain stimulating device to date and demonstrated its potential in a human patient. Using revolutionary magnetoelectric power transfer technology developed at Rice, the pea-sized device can be powered wirelessly via an external transmitter and used to stimulate the brain through the dura&mdash;the protective membrane attached to the bottom of the skull. The researchers published  their study in Science Advances.
The Digitally programmable Over-brain Therapeutic (DOT) device could potentially revolutionize the treatment of multiple neurological and psychiatric conditions, said the researchers, by providing a therapeutic alternative that offers greater patient autonomy and accessibility compared to current neurostimulation-based therapies and is less invasive than other&nbsp;brain-computer interfaces&nbsp;(BCIs).