Scientists Develop Jelly-Like Artificial Nerve That Can Sense Pain Like Humans
Artificial Nociceptors Inspired by the Human Body
Scattered throughout the human body are microscopic sensors known as nociceptors, which detect potentially harmful stimuli and relay warning signals to the brain and spinal cord, helping to prevent injury and tissue damage.
Breakthrough in Artificial Pain-Sensing Technology
In a recent breakthrough, researchers at Northeast Normal University in China developed a soft, jelly-like artificial pain-sensing nerve pathway using a memristor — a tiny electronic component capable of regulating electrical flow while retaining a memory of past currents.
Related science and environment coverage
How the Artificial Pain Sensor Works
Thanks to a property known as quantized conductance, in which electrical signals move in discrete steps rather than a continuous flow, the artificial receptor was able to register four graded pain responses, closely mirroring the human experience:
- No pain
- Mild pain
- Moderate pain
- Severe pain
Self-Healing and Bio-Inspired Capabilities
The bio-inspired receptor also demonstrated self-healing capabilities, showing an ability to repair physical damage and gradually diminish pain signals over time.
Researchers believe that replicating the body's natural pain-sensing mechanisms could open new frontiers in neuroprosthetics and enable more intuitive interactions between humans and machines.
The study has been published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials.
Health and neurotechnology insights
Get That Senses Pain at Different Levels
Limits of Earlier Artificial Nociceptors
Artificial nociceptors have been the subject of scientific research for many years. Early efforts relied on conventional semiconductor technology, but this approach required complex, bulky circuitry to replicate even the most basic human pain responses.
Role of Memristors in Pain Detection
The emergence of memristors marked a turning point, shifting attention away from traditional semiconductors towards compact, two-terminal devices well suited to brain-inspired computing. Using their unique switching behaviour, scientists have created artificial pain sensors that intensify their response to repeated stimulation, without becoming desensitized over time as natural pain receptors do.
Despite this progress, many existing artificial nociceptors still struggle to replicate graded pain levels and self-healing abilities, both of which are essential for realistic pain perception and recovery.
Testing Pain Sensitivity and Human-Like Responses
In this study, researchers achieved greater precision in pain sensing by combining two types of gelatin film:
- A 10 wt.% formulation for pressure detection
- A 1 wt.% formulation for the memristor
When linked in series, these components formed an artificial nerve pathway.
Pressure Testing and Pain Response Levels
To test its sensitivity, the team applied mechanical pressures ranging from 9 to 45 kPa (kilopascal), successfully identifying four distinct response levels, from no pain through to severe pain.
Demonstrating Self-Healing Ability
They also assessed the system's self-healing ability by introducing cuts up to 50.7 micrometers wide into the gelatin sensors. After heating the material to 60°C for 20 minutes, the damage vanished and the electrical performance returned to its original state.
Successful Testing in a Living Nervous System
The artificial pain sensor was linked to the sciatic nerve of an anaesthetized mouse. When pressure was applied, the device generated electrical signals that triggered muscle contractions, closely replicating a natural withdrawal response.
Implications for Human-Machine Interaction
The findings suggest that soft, jelly-like materials designed to imitate pain receptors could transform human-machine interfaces and support the development of more effective rehabilitation technologies for people recovering from injury.
No comments:
Post a Comment