Dissolvable Implant Can Relieve Pain Without Painkillers Or Other Drugs
Soon, you may no longer need prescriptions to keep chronic pain at bay, as a team of researchers at Northwestern University has created a dissolvable implant that “relieves pain on demand” without the use of any drugs.
This pioneering wearable technology could be a viable alternative to highly-addictive pain medications, making use of a biocompatible device to deliver precise, targeted cooling at one’s affected nerves.
Leveraging the simple concept of evaporation, the device secretes a liquid coolant and inert gas that causes a rapidly evaporating reaction at the specific location of a sensory nerve, numbing the pain signals sent to the brain.
According to a press release, the device would come with an external pump for users to remotely activate the cooling sensation when needed, or increase and decrease its intensity depending on the severity of the pain.
Once the aches have completely subsided and the implant is no longer needed, it’ll simply be absorbed into the body without needing to be surgically removed.
The team believes the invention could benefit patients undergoing routine surgeries or amputations, during which surgeons could implant the device to help patients recover from post-operation pains more effectively without the need for opioids.
“Although opioids are extremely effective, they also are extremely addictive. As engineers, we are motivated by the idea of treating pain without drugs—in ways that can be turned on and off instantly, with user control over the intensity of relief,” explained John A Rogers, who led the development of the implant.
“The technology reported here exploits mechanisms that have some similarities to those that cause your fingers to feel numb when cold. Our implant allows that effect to be produced in a programmable way, directly and locally to targeted nerves, even those deep within surrounding soft tissues,” he added.
[via New Atlas and Northwestern University, cover image via Northwestern University]
