A new flexible brain implant allows for the precise delivery of drugs to multiple areas of the brain simultaneously, a development that could revolutionize treatment for complex neurological disorders. The device, created by bioengineers at New York University Abu Dhabi, overcomes a significant limitation of current technologies, which typically only release medication from one or two points. The new system enables therapies to reach larger and more intricate brain regions safely with a single, minimally invasive implant.
The device, named SPIRAL for Strategic Precision Infusion for Regional Administration of Liquid, is a thin, flexible tube designed to distribute therapeutics more evenly across widespread areas of brain tissue. This capability is particularly important for conditions like glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer, as well as epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease, where treatment may require targeting multiple specific sites. By allowing for broader and more controlled drug administration, the implant offers a new platform for enhancing the efficacy of neurological therapies while minimizing risk to the patient.
An Innovative Helical Design
The SPIRAL device solves a critical challenge in brain therapy: how to administer drugs over a large volume without causing unnecessary tissue damage from multiple implants. Traditional brain infusion devices are often rigid and deliver drugs from a single tip, limiting their reach. The SPIRAL implant features a soft, flexible structure with multiple outlets arranged along its length. This allows it to conform to the brain’s soft tissue and distribute medication from several points from just one insertion.
One of the key innovations is its helical shape, which, combined with the carefully spaced outlets, ensures that therapeutics can cover more tissue effectively. Researchers report that this design makes it possible to treat larger, more complex regions than was previously possible with a single device. According to Batoul Khlaifat, a co-lead author and research assistant at NYUAD, the design makes it “possible to distribute drugs more evenly and across larger regions, while still being safe and minimally invasive.”
Precision Engineering and Fluid Dynamics
To ensure the device works as intended, its creators employed advanced computer modeling and laboratory testing to verify its precision and safety. A significant challenge was ensuring that each outlet along the flexible tube released the same amount of medication. The team used computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to precisely calibrate the diameter of each port, engineering an equal rate of flow across all openings.
Controlling the Flow
This meticulous engineering guarantees uniform drug distribution, which is critical for predictable and effective treatment. Mahmoud Elbeh, an NYUAD alum and PhD candidate, explained that the design allows the device to “cover more tissue from one insertion.” By using CFD to set the port diameters correctly, the team created a reliable platform technology. This precise control over the infusion process is a major step forward from existing tools, which lack the ability to target multiple areas with such consistency.
Bypassing the Blood-Brain Barrier
Many promising drugs for neurological diseases fail because they cannot cross the blood-brain barrier, a protective membrane that separates circulating blood from the brain’s extracellular fluid. Direct infusion into the brain is a primary method for bypassing this barrier, but its effectiveness depends on delivering the drug exactly where it is needed. The SPIRAL implant is designed to maximize the effectiveness of this direct-delivery approach.
For diseases that affect large volumes of the brain, such as advanced glioblastoma, the ability to deliver drugs straight into the tissue is paramount. The SPIRAL device’s capacity to infuse therapeutics across a wide area makes it a promising tool for such applications. By ensuring the medication is not only delivered past the barrier but is also widely and evenly distributed within the target region, the implant could significantly improve treatment outcomes for some of the most difficult-to-treat conditions.
Future Therapeutic Applications
Researchers believe the SPIRAL implant could fundamentally change how a range of neurological disorders are treated. Beyond brain cancer, it holds potential for epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, and other conditions that originate from specific, and sometimes multiple, brain regions. Khalil Ramadi, the lead researcher and an Assistant Professor of Bioengineering at NYUAD, stated that current tools for targeting these areas are limited. “SPIRAL allows us to reach several regions at once without adding extra risk, which could change how we deliver therapy for these conditions,” he said.
The core technology behind the device is also adaptable. The team suggests that with modifications, the platform could be used for other applications, including electrical brain stimulation or even for delivering drugs to other solid organs in the body. This versatility opens the door for a new generation of targeted medical devices capable of delivering a variety of therapies with unprecedented precision. The research represents a significant step toward making neurological treatments safer, less invasive, and more effective.
