Imagine a smart patch for the brain that can both listen to neural signals and send precise ultrasound pulses to treat depression. Instead of drilling deep into the brain, it sits just under the skull's protective layer, making it much safer. It works like a thermostat for the brain: it detects a 'cold' mood signal and automatically triggers a 'warming' pulse to fix it.
One third of Major Depressive Disorder patients do not respond to standard medication or therapy. Current surgical alternatives like Deep Brain Stimulation are too invasive or lack the spatial resolution to be effective for all patients.
A demonstrator of an Epidural Brain Interface (EBI) consisting of CMOS-based ultrasound arrays, organic neural recording arrays, and a wireless relay station.
If you are a hardware developer dealing with the high risks of deep brain surgery — this project developed an epidural brain interface (EBI) that minimizes implantation risk by avoiding the dura mater and brain tissue.
If you are a startup dealing with low spatial resolution in current depression treatments — this project developed a system using focused ultrasound and organic neuroelectronics to achieve high spatio-temporal resolution.
If you are a clinic dealing with the 33% of MDD patients who are treatment-resistant — this project developed a closed-loop stimulation system to enable personalized therapy based on identified biomarkers.
Based on available project data, specific unit costs or pricing models are not provided; the project focuses on research and demonstrator development.
The project utilizes CMOS technology and organic bioelectronic materials, which are standard in semiconductor manufacturing, suggesting a path toward industrial scaling.
Based on available project data, specific patent numbers or licensing terms are not listed, though the project involves 3 industrial partners and 2 SMEs.
The system is designed as a minimally invasive epidural implant, which reduces surgical complexity compared to deep brain stimulation.
The project runs until 2026-11-30 and is currently validating the system in behavioral rat models to pave the way for human translation.
The consortium is well-balanced for technology transfer, featuring a 43% industry ratio with 3 industrial partners, including 2 SMEs. This mix of 3 universities and 3 industry players across 6 countries (including the US) suggests a strong bridge between academic research in organic electronics and commercial medical device manufacturing.
Contact the Technical University of Delft (TU Delft) regarding the UPSIDE project
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