New paper in Advanced Science

C.Orlemann, L. M.De Santis, P.Neering, et al. “Friend, Not Foe: Lowered Tissue Reactivity to Long-Term Polyimide Implants.” Advanced Science (2026): e00028. https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202600028

Researchers from Brainlinks‑Braintools, together with colleagues from the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience and ATLAS Neuroengineering Belgium, have investigated how cerebral‑implant devices should be designed—specifically regarding materials, thicknesses, and widths—to ensure the best possible tolerability. To address this question, differently designed probes made from polyimide and silicon were implanted in mice followed by a systematic quantification of tissue loss, cortical neuronal density, and immune response. A key finding was that flexible polyimide probes are superior to stiff silicon probes, and that this material effect outweighs the influence of probe dimensions.

Highly flexible neural probe based on polyimide with iridium-oxide coated microelectrodes and a silicon-based insertion shuttle with 50-µm-thin shanks of different width.