Neuro-Enhancing Units Restoring Offline Nerves
Our proposed future technology is a series of neural networks that would be implanted into the brain of patients that are suffering from motor paralysis that result from brain damage and/or stroke. The multiple neural nets would be implanted into the damaged area of the brain. The microchips of the neural nets would act as neurons and send on messages to other neurons. Each microchip would contain two fullerenes. One would release a nerve-stimulating enzyme that would allow healthy neurons to connect with the input and output devices of the microchips. The other fullerene would slowly release suppressant drugs to prevent rejection of the neural networks. The thought processes of the brain would send messages through the neural nets and based on the “weight” of the impulses the neural nets would send messages to other neurons to initiate muscle action in the paralyzed extremity.
Our Prototype
Shown here is our prototype of a neural net in the motor cortex of the brain. Each bead represents a microchip in the neural network. Below you also see an enlargement of what one of these microchips looks like. The white spheres represent the fullerenes containing enzymes and anti-suppressant drugs.
