The harvester was also equipped to produce tiny currents to power the LEDs. In the head of the device, called the harvester, they housed microchips needed for the device to wirelessly communicate with an external radio frequency source.
Then, they designed a tiny, paddle-shaped device and inserted micro LEDs near the tip of its flexible shaft, which was fastened to the stomach. To address this gap, Park and his team first used genetic tools to express genes that respond to light into specific vagus nerve endings in vivo. "Despite the clinical benefit of having a wireless system, no device, as of yet, has the capability to do chronic and durable cell-type specific manipulation of neuron activity inside of any other organ other than the brain," he said. However, Park said wireless technology, as well as the application of advanced genetic and optical tools, have the potential to make nerve stimulation devices less cumbersome and more comfortable for the patient. Although there are medical devices that can stimulate the vagus nerve endings and consequently help in curbing hunger, these devices are similar in design to a pacemaker, that is, wires connected to a current source provide electrical jolts to activate the tips of the nerve. In recent years, the vagus nerve has received much attention as a target for treating obesity since it provides sensory information about fullness from the stomach lining to the brain. For those with a body mass index greater than 35 or who have at least two obesity-related conditions, surgery offers a path for patients to not only lose the excess weight but maintain their weight over the long term. Additionally, obesity puts people at risk for chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and even some cancers. health care system, costing $147 billion a year. Furthermore, its associated health problems have a significant economic impact on the U.S. "Our device has the potential to do both of these things in the harsh gastric conditions, which, in the future, can be hugely beneficial to people needing dramatic weight-loss surgeries."įurther details about their device are published in the January issue of Nature Communications. Sung II Park, assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. "We wanted to create a device that not only requires minimal surgery for implantation but also allows us to stimulate specific nerve endings in the stomach," said Dr. Unlike other devices that require a power cord, their device is wireless and can be controlled externally from a remote radio frequency source. Researchers said their centimeter-sized device provides the feeling of fullness by stimulating the endings of the vagus nerve with light.
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