Tiny Sensor Could Monitor Your Brain after Surgery

Knowing how the brain of a patient is developing after surgery is a tricky business but now a tiny sensor could monitor your brain after surgery.

Brain surgery is probably one of the most invasive treatment techniques and many times it is required that surgeons open up the patient more than once in order to make sure the surgery is successful and the patient will recover.

However, science and technology work miracles hand in hand and a team of researchers have developed a small sensor which dissolves after it finishes the job. According to scientists, the tiny device should be able to lower the need of a second surgery as well as the need of the patient to remain connected to monitors for a longer time.

The main reason for that is that the sensor works as a “monitor”. It could be useful even when you have a concussion. If the doctors implant the sensor into your brain, they will see how the injury develops and whether it has affected your brain or not. After the sensor finishes its job it dissolves in the body’s fluids without leaving a trace nor bringing any harm to the organism.

The sensor has been so far tested on rats and it has transmitted measurements for about a week. The device was completely eliminated from the animals’ body after approximately three months. Although this new sensor works just as well as the traditional monitors, it does bring something new and better.

Compared to monitors, the sensor is wireless. Traditionally, the wired used for monitoring can limit physical movement and also represent a high risk of infection. Besides, they can also cause damage when they are pulled out.

So far, the sensor can track intracranial pressure as well as temperature which can let doctors know if there is a swelling or any other problem in the brain. The sensor is made from materials similar to the ones stitches are made of. These are seen by your immune systems as foreign and they are soon attacked. Your body’s fluids dissolve them and they don’t spread any infection into the organism.

All in all, hopefully the FDA will approve this new monitoring system as it seems that it might revolutionize the way people will heal from brain surgeries.

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