Friday, February 6, 2009

Silicon chips repairing human body?

"So you have some tissue damaged in your body? No problem, come here and we'll use these here tiny silicon chips to repair the damage." This still isn't a reality but in years to come it could be as Edinburgh University has developed a technique, which allows neurons to grow in fine, detailed patterns on the surface of tiny computer chips that may eventually enable chips to replace damaged nerve or muscle fibres.


Silicon chips repairing human body? Though it sounds like some Sci-Fi scenario this could be the real thing and one of the medicine breakthroughs in years to come.

Though this sounds a bit like some Sci-fi movie scientists believe this is only a start of things to come. Professor Alan Murray, head of Edinburgh University's School of Engineering and Electronics, leader of the research team, said: "This is a small but important step on the path towards the long-term goal of many scientists and medical experts - to develop surgical implants using silicon chips. We can now make silicon chips with circuitry as well as pathways where cells can grow in the body."

Researchers also believe that this method will allow better methods of drug discovery and reduce the need for animal testing, as new medicines could be tested on chips rather than in live creatures. As you can see this method has extreme potential so I'll be really hoping hearing more of this as this could well be one of the medicine breakthroughs in years to come.

0 comments: