Tiny folding implants that expand in the brain after being inserted could make epilepsy operations safer and improve diagnosis for hundreds of patients undergoing surgery every year, Oxford scientists believe.

A research team led by the University of Oxford said its electrodes, inspired by the Japanese art of origami, can fit through a small surgical slit about 6mm wide and cover an area five times larger once fully unfurled on the brain surface.

The team, which also included scientists from the University of Cambridge, said this technology could significantly reduce the amount of brain surgery needed for epilepsy patients, while also cutting recovery times and lowering infection risk.

READ MORE: Oxford University college makes history with two golden students at Olympics

Christopher Proctor, an associate professor at the University of Oxford’s Department of Engineering Science, said the work presents a “new approach” to directly connect with “large areas of the brain through a key-hole like surgery”.

Independent experts have hailed the new technique as “exciting”, saying it offers “real hope” for patients.

(Image: Lawrence Coles/University of Cambridge/PA Wire)

Epilepsy, which affects one in 100 people in the UK, is caused by bursts of electrical activity in the brain that temporarily affect how it works, leading to frequent seizures.

The hope is that the origami-like probes will help pinpoint where these seizures originate within the brain, offering a safer and more efficient way to accurately diagnose the condition when other tests have failed.

At present, there are mainly two types of surgeries performed to monitor electrical activity in the brain: electrocorticography (ECoG) and stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG).

ECoG procedures are highly invasive, often requiring surgeons to cut out a large window in the skull to place electrodes directly onto the brain surface, and hence not routinely performed.

READ MORE: Significant increase in Oxford noise complaints due to 'loud man'

SEEG surgeries are less invasive – with an estimated 200 operations carried out in the UK every year – but the noodle-like probes only cover a very small surface area of the brain, instead penetrating deeper into the tissue.

Damiano Barone, a neurosurgeon and clinical lecturer at the University of Cambridge, said the folding electrodes could potentially be used in combination with SEEG probes to improve epilepsy diagnosis.

A flat, rectangular silicone wafer with 32 embedded electrodes, the device is able to fold up like an accordion, allowing it to pass through a surgical incision about 6mm wide.

Once in position on the brain surface, a pressurised chamber in the wafer filled with fluid inflates and unfolds the device to its original size of 600 square mm.

When tested on pigs, the unfolded electrodes were able to accurately detect and record brain activity, the researchers said.

Scientists are now looking to refine the device, with the aim to start trials in UK patients within two years.

The team said it is also exploring whether these electrodes could be used to help other patients as well, including those who are paralysed or have lost the ability to speak.

The research is published in the journal Nature Communications.

Help support trusted local news 

Sign up for a digital subscription now: https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/subscribe/

As a digital subscriber you will get:      

  • Unlimited access to the Oxford Mail website   
  • Advert-light access       
  • Reader rewards       
  • Full access to our app

About the author

Rob is a digital reporter who covers a wide range of topics.

He joined the Oxford Mail in February 2023 having previously been at sister paper The Bucks Free Press for two years. 

Rob completed a Sports Journalism degree before earning his NCTJ Diploma at Darlington College and can be found on X at @RobertFolker.