Neurological disorders and injuries of the nervous system, such as epilepsy, stroke and spinal cord injury, have caused death and disability for millions of people worldwide. It’s estimated that one-third of total disability is attributed to neurological conditions alone, carrying a significant burden to individuals, healthcare systems and society.
Although medicines have shown to be helpful in many cases, developing pharmaceuticals is becoming more expensive and less efficient. Currently, the most effective, clinically available devices for treating brain disorders are based on bulky, invasive units, typically implanted in the upper chest region. They house a battery, large electronic components, and connect to a handful of implanted electrodes.
MINT proposes a new approach for treating neurological conditions with novel implantable neurotechnologies. Its solution delivers fully wireless medical implants, 1,000 times smaller than current clinical devices, reducing surgical risk and paving the way for injectable bioelectronics. The implants can be arranged to form a distributed network of chip-scale devices, which are capable of high fidelity recording of the neural activity, providing both a more accurate monitoring and intervention.
In the short term, this fundamental change will reduce the risk and costs associated with monitoring brain activity. MINT’s long-term vision is to enable brain-computer interface (BCI) applications and new treatments for neurological conditions such as stroke and neurodegenerative diseases.
In the next year, MINT’s aims to validate the technology in pre-clinical trials, while developing a plan for a first in-human clinical trial in patients suffering from neurological conditions. Its partnership with centres of excellence in neuroscience and neurology including Imperial College London, Newcastle University, King’s College London, and UCL will fast track technology development, optimised for specific clinical needs.
Associated Programme
