New neural probe could further understanding of spinal cord

Developed by researchers at the University of California San Diego and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, the new neural probe is flexible and about one-fifth the width of a human hair. The team’s neural probe is detailed in Nature Communications.

The team said that this type of neural probe would be suitable for studying small and dynamic areas of the nervous system like peripheral nerves or the spinal cord.

In a statement, Axel Nimmerjahn, associate professor at the Salk Institute and co-senior author of the study, said: “This is where you’d need a really small, flexible probe that can fit in between vertebrae to interface with neurons and can bend as the spinal cord moves.”

According to the team, these features also make it more compatible with biological tissue and less prone to triggering an immune response, making it suitable for long-term use.

“For chronic neural interfacing, you want a probe that’s stealthy, something that the body doesn’t even know is there but can still communicate with neurons,” said study co-senior author Donald Sirbuly, professor of nanoengineering at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering.