In order to study the human brain and its functions, one of the ways of doing so is through the use of electrodes placed in the brain that measure the neurons firings in them. However the issue here is how the electrodes are placed in the first place, where they have to be stuck inside the brain.
The problem is that because the electrodes need to be rigid enough to enter the brain, they can sometimes cause damage as they move through the brain, which obviously is something that we’re sure doctors would like to avoid, especially when used on patients. However the good news is that researchers in Texas have come up with a less damaging way of implanting electrodes.
This is done by first placing the electrode inside of tube, filling it with a viscous liquid, and then pushing the liquid through the tube and the electrode. The liquid helps to make its way deeper into the brain without necessarily damaging the tissue. According to Jacob Robinson, one of the researchers from Rice University, “The electrode is like a cooked noodle that you’re trying to put into a bowl of Jello. By itself, it doesn’t work. But if you put that noodle under running water, the water pulls the noodle straight.”
This discovery could lead to the improvement of certain applications involving electrodes, such as managing epilepsy or allowing users to control artificial limbs.