Optical Fiber Probe for Tracking Brain Temperature
Brain temperature can be implicated in behavioral changes, neuronal cell death and various motor functions, as might arise from disease, trauma or addiction. To detect temperature change to a fraction of a degree, researchers in Australia have designed an optical fiber probe with a tiny sensor made of tellurite glass and erbium. When the probe is inserted into the brain, the color of light from the erbium changes reflecting temperatures. While this has only been demonstrated in lab animals so far, “”Continuous monitoring of brain temperature after brain injury would allow for the effects of hyperthermia management techniques such as anti-pyretics—drugs that reduces fever—and hypothermia to be observed and evaluated by clinicians in real time. . . .” MORE
Image Credit: Stefan Musolino/Erik Schartner, University of Adelaide and MDTMag.com