Living better with electroceuticals
March 31, 2016
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Electroceuticals can help combat a wide variety of medical conditions, such as tinnitus (ringing ears) and epilepsy. Electroceuticals comprise the smart, localized and targeted application of therapeutic electrical stimuli to the body. The technological challenge is to make electroceutical devices smarter and smaller.
According to Wouter Serdijn, Professor of Bio-Electronics at TU Delft in the Netherlands, electroceuticals could develop into a new and significant form of medicine, complementing existing pharmaceuticals. The targeted application of electrical stimuli can alleviate many medical conditions and is not limited to brain therapy. The main advantage of electroceuticals over pharmaceuticals is that the effect is localized. Drug act on the entire body, which can easily lead to adverse effects.
Existing electroceutical devices are still fairly bulky, with relatively large batteries and wires. There is also a high degree of trial and error in treatment methods. The aim is to develop a flexible brain implant on a polymer substrate that can serve as a general platform for various electroceutical devices.
According to Wouter Serdijn, Professor of Bio-Electronics at TU Delft in the Netherlands, electroceuticals could develop into a new and significant form of medicine, complementing existing pharmaceuticals. The targeted application of electrical stimuli can alleviate many medical conditions and is not limited to brain therapy. The main advantage of electroceuticals over pharmaceuticals is that the effect is localized. Drug act on the entire body, which can easily lead to adverse effects.
Existing electroceutical devices are still fairly bulky, with relatively large batteries and wires. There is also a high degree of trial and error in treatment methods. The aim is to develop a flexible brain implant on a polymer substrate that can serve as a general platform for various electroceutical devices.
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