PAIN RELIEF: ULTRASOUND IMPLANT

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PAIN RELIEF:  ULTRASOUND IMPLANT








Engineers at the University of Southern California and UCLA have developed a flexible, wireless implant that promises to manage chronic pain without needing opioids, batteries, or wires. This new device, powered by ultrasound and guided by artificial intelligence, could offer real-time, personalized pain relief for millions of Americans struggling with ongoing pain.

Chronic pain disrupts daily life for more than 51 million people in the U.S., with over 17 million experiencing pain so severe that it affects their work and routines. Many turn to opioid medications, risking side effects and addiction. While electrical stimulators implanted in the spine have helped some patients, these traditional devices are costly, require invasive surgery, and depend on batteries that need frequent replacement.

The new solution, created by USC’s Zhou Lab in partnership with UCLA’s Jun Chen Group, is a thin, flexible implant that attaches to the spine. Instead of relying on bulky batteries, it draws energy wirelessly from a wearable ultrasound transmitter. The ultrasound waves are safely transmitted through the skin and converted into electricity by a piezoelectric component inside the implant. This eliminates the need for surgery to replace batteries and makes the device comfortable to wear and able to move naturally with the body.

What’s unique about this implant is its use of artificial intelligence. The system continuously monitors brain activity using EEG signals, then uses a machine learning model (based on the ResNet-18 neural network) to assess pain levels in real time. It can distinguish between slight, moderate, and severe pain with nearly 95% accuracy. Based on these readings, the device automatically adjusts the amount of stimulation delivered to the spinal cord, offering targeted and personalized relief as pain levels change.

In laboratory studies on rodents, the implant successfully reduced both chronic neuropathic pain and acute pain from heat or touch. Treated animals even showed a clear preference for environments where the device was active, suggesting effective pain management.

The team sees this as just the beginning. Future versions could be even smaller—potentially injectable with a syringe—and the external transmitter could be redesigned as a wearable patch or even controlled by a smartphone app. These upgrades could allow for more precise treatment and easier use, making pain management more accessible.

By combining AI-driven pain assessment with wireless, battery-free stimulation, USC’s new implant could mark a significant step forward in the search for safer, more effective chronic pain therapies. Researchers hope this technology will offer a practical alternative to opioids and traditional stimulators, creating a more innovative, more adaptable way to control pain.

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