Neural Interfaces of The Future - Dr. Christopher Chapman | Ep. 12
Dr. Christopher Chapman — Bioengineering Researcher
Dr. Christopher Chapman on brain implants that listen for cancer coming back: why they have to be soft and metal-free, and why patients should help design them.
Key Takeaways
An implant that watches for recurrence
His lab uses brain-computer interface arrays to detect a tumour returning, between scans that are months apart. 8:31
It has to work without metal
Radiotherapy must pass through the device, so they are building the whole thing from conductive polymer. 13:09
Stiff implants scar the brain
The brain moves around a rigid device, and the inflammation kills the very neurons it was put there to record. 16:06
Monitor, decide, then treat
Stimulation is only worth much if a device can sense when it is needed. The hard part is closing that loop in one implant. 23:57
Design with patients
Talking to glioblastoma patients changed what he builds. He wants patients involved before a device exists, not after. 42:21
“The human body is really the most interesting machine that there is.”
Chapters
- 0:00Intro2 min
- 1:55From architecture to bioengineering3 min
- 5:18What a mechanical engineer brings2 min
- 7:07Detecting brain cancer coming back4 min
- 11:26Can it beat an MRI?1 min
- 12:32A device with no metal3 min
- 15:14Why rigid implants fail2 min
- 17:36Electrical impedance tomography3 min
- 20:49Implants that treat as well as read4 min
- 24:45Releasing chemotherapy with electricity2 min
- 27:14Living electronics4 min
- 30:47Where the research happens3 min
- 33:17Percolation threshold3 min
- 35:58Companies and minimally invasive devices3 min
- 38:34What it costs2 min
- 41:02Patients as co-designers6 min
- 46:52A Bell Labs for neurotechnology3 min
- 49:42Implants that dissolve2 min
- 51:25Advice for students4 min
Mentioned in This Episode
About this Guest
Dr. Christopher Chapman
Bioengineering Researcher
His lab develops bioelectronic implants for cancer therapeutics and monitoring, including multimodal sensors that read the brain tumour microenvironment in real time.