Lots of breakthroughs are hailed as providing a “window into the brain,” but a team of mechanical engineers at UC Riverside have taken the phrase literally, creating a transparent material that could be used to surgically replace patches of skull.
The breakthrough itself is relatively simple — a clear version of a common biocompatible ceramic used in dentistry and orthopedics — but project leader Guillermo Aguilar says that once doctors can give patients a transparent patch of skull, the resulting treatments could have a profound impact. According to Masuro Rao, another professor on the project, “as you start to look for the future, you’re going to need chronic visual access to the brain.”
via The Verge
