I-Corps: Translation Potential of Patient-specific and Cost-effective Neural Implants for Neurological Disorder Treatment

This I-Corps project focuses on the development of patient-specific and cost-effective neural implants for neurological disorder treatment. These soft neural implants address the need for customizable and accessible technologies in neurological care. Conventional neural implants often suffer from high manufacturing costs, poor adaptability to individual brain anatomy, and limited compatibility with soft neural tissues, which can reduce treatment efficacy and increase the risk of complications. This project introduces an innovative solution that employs advanced design and fabrication techniques to produce implants precisely tailored to each patient’s brain structure. These implants can also enable communication between the brain and external devices, offering new approaches for treating individuals with severe motor impairments. By reducing production costs and enhancing fitness and performance, the approach has the potential to improve clinical outcomes while expanding access to cutting-edge neurological therapies. The technology supports healthcare delivery by making personalized neural treatments more affordable and scalable for all patients. This I-Corps project utilizes experiential learning coupled with a first-hand investigation of the industry ecosystem to assess the translation potential of the technology. This solution is based on the development of personalized neural implants tailored to the unique anatomical structures of individual brains, offering a new approach in neural interface design. Traditional implants, typically fabricated using lithographic techniques optimized for mass production, are rigid and poorly suited to the brain’s complex anatomy, resulting in inadequate electrode-tissue contact, reduced signal fidelity, and increased foreign body responses. To address these challenges, this project introduces an integrated platform that combines magnetic resonance imaging-based anatomical mapping, simulation-driven optimization for pre-implantation safety and efficacy, and direct ink writing-based three-dimensional printing to create implants customized to individual brain structures. These neural implants are fabricated from soft, biocompatible and magnetic resonance imaging-compatible materials engineered to closely match the mechanical properties of neural tissue. The personalized designs further enhance tissue integration and long-term device performance while minimizing inflammatory responses. Additionally, the additive manufacturing approach enables rapid prototyping and scalable production, reducing fabrication time and allowing faster delivery of anatomically precise implants to patients. This level of anatomical specificity improves the targeting accuracy of brain regions, enhancing the performance of brain-computer interface applications and neuromodulation therapies. By eliminating the need for traditional photolithography, the platform has the potential to reduce manufacturing costs, shorten production timelines, and enable greater design flexibility. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.