NYU Abu Dhabi builds injectable, battery-free nerve device — SkimNews
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- NYU Abu Dhabi and Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi developed a seed-sized, injectable device that delivers programmable electrical stimulation to specific nerves without surgery, batteries, or wires, delivered through a standard needle.
- The leadless device draws power wirelessly from outside the body for real-time adjustment, and its placement near the target nerve can be verified post-procedure using ultrasound or CT imaging.
- Findings published in Science Advances showed the device successfully activated nerves in vivo during preclinical testing under conditions designed to resemble real-world use.
- Prof. Khalil Ramadi, the study's senior author at NYU Abu Dhabi and NYU Tandon, called the injectable design a shift that makes neuromodulation therapies "simpler, safer, and more accessible" while preserving precise control over nerve activity.
- Human efficacy data for chronic pain or movement disorders does not yet exist; the source explicitly states the device's ability to relieve these conditions in patients "has not yet been established."
Why it matters: Existing neuromodulation devices require surgical implantation, which constrains patient access. By making nerve stimulation injectable and battery-free, the NYU Abu Dhabi design lowers the procedural barrier — though clinical viability hinges on yet-to-come human trials, since the source states efficacy in patients "has not yet been established."
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