Remote-Controlled Neuroimplant Delivers Light and Drugs Via Internet
Researchers in Chicago demonstrated a neuroimplant that can be operated from anywhere via the internet. They remotely controlled a device implanted in the brain of a laboratory rat located in Daejeon, South Korea. The implant functions in real time, turning on stimulation or drug delivery with a simple web command.
The platform combines optogenetics and microfluidics, allowing neurons to be activated by light or inhibited while drugs are precisely injected. By eliminating bulky tethers and external hardware, it removes the observer effect and reduces stress on the animals.
Inside the chip sits an electrochemical micropump: applying voltage triggers electrolysis, generating gas that pushes the drug from its reservoir; cutting the current lets the gas recombine, resetting the system. Dosing and the frequency of light pulses from a micro-LED are adjusted through a web interface, and the drug cartridge attaches magnetically for easy replacement or refilling without additional surgery.
Stability and durability were validated in a four-week experiment on rats. In addiction studies, scientists remotely delivered cocaine to the Nucleus Accumbens while simultaneously suppressing neural activity with light, successfully curbing addictive behavior. Looking ahead, Korean developers aim to link such IoT implants with AI to close the loop—letting algorithms read brain states and automatically administer the appropriate drug or light pulse for conditions such as depression, neurodegenerative disorders, or epilepsy.
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Science Advances
IoT-enabled wireless neural implant for chronic, programmable neuropharmacology and optogenetics
IoT-enabled wireless implant with refillable drug delivery and optogenetics enables chronic, observer-free neural modulation.
