Ceramic implant opens brain to ultrasound therapies

ultrasound therapies into the brain, an advance that could improve outcomes for patients with neurological diseases.

Developed by researchers at the University of California, Riverside, the implant will let doctors deliver ultrasound treatments on demand and on a recurring basis. A paper describing the research has been published in Advanced Healthcare Materials.

Guillermo Aguilar, professor and chair of mechanical engineering at UCR's Bourns College of Engineering, and Javier E Garay, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering in UC San Diego's Jacobs School of Engineering, led the project.

Ultrasound can be used to treat a variety of brain disorders, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. It can also be used to destroy cancer cells, dissolve blood clots during stroke, and open the blood-brain barrier for enhanced drug delivery.

The cranium, however, is usually between 2 and 8mm thick and relatively dense, so sound waves are either reflected or absorbed before penetrating the brain.