Mircopump Could Prevent Seizures On Command

Apr-19-15 An electronic micropump able to deliver drugs directly to the brain could one day allow people suffering from epilepsy to stop a seizure before it starts.

The pump, developed by an international team of researchers, is made up of membrane called a "cation exchange" that is 20 times thinner than a human hair. Negative ions on the surface of the membrane attract positively charged molecules—such as drugs. When an electrical current is applies to the membrane, the electron flow sends the molecules to targeted areas.

Initial tests on mice have been successful, and the team hopes to eventually combine the micropump with a previously developed microchip that could allow the system to detect the onset of a seizure and inject the medication at the ideal moment.

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[MEDGADGET.COM]
[PRESSE-INSERM.FR]

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