Scientists of St. Petersburg University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics (ITMO) have invented a unique device that allows the human nervous system to control artificial implants. The article about the engineering was published by the scientificrussia.ru portal.
The engineering is a device consisting of small resistors and capacitors based on a liquid alloy of gallium, indium and hydrogel. It can be stirred not only in artificial organs, but also in solar panels.
According to the head of research, ITMO employee Artemius Ivanov, in order to create substitutes for electrical impulses that control the internal organs of a person, there are required devices that would be able not only to read them correctly, but also to work for a long time.
However, since the current electronics are mostly silicon, until recently the obtained products were too hard and brittle, which significantly shortened their life time.
As a result of experiments, ITMO scientists have established that an alloy of gallium and indium is the most optimal for the long-term functioning of implants.The alloy does not cause irritation in the human body and does not accumulate in the kidneys and liver.
The system is based on two drops of the alloy and a hydrogel containing polyelectrolytes.When current flows through the device, a layer of insoluble compounds forms at the boundaries between the alloy and the gel.
On March 1, the researchers demonstrated the efficiency of the scheme in vitro. The next stage is the engineering design of the development, so that it can be used to create artificial organs.
Ivanov is sure that the device will be interesting not only for specialists in the field of medicine, but also for the creators of solar panels.
For several years, this innovative direction has been also developing in Turkmenistan. The advantages of using renewable energy sources were appreciated in China, Germany, Sweden, Denmark and a number of other countries.
From 2018 to 2020, the amount of energy produced by solar panels in the world increased by 40%, and by the end of 2021, according to experts, it should exceed the amount of energy produced by all АЭС around the globe.