Controlling Pain with LEDs

Nov-18-15 An implantable LED device able to detect where a person feels pain could one day allow them to control that pain wirelessly.

Created by a team from Washington University in St. Louis, the micro-LED technology was originally developed to study the circuitry of the nervous system. The new design, however, has been improved with the addition of a tiny, elastic antenna that harvests radio frequency signals for power. When tested in mice that had their nerve cells modified to respond to light, the LED device was able to trigger the sensations of pain as well as block them.

While perhaps one day leading to a “switch for pain,” the LED device also offers an exciting new tool for studying the roles of neurons and pain.

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