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Chinese scientists develop electrode coating to address signal loss and tissue adhesion problems in long-term brain-computer interface implantation_我的网站

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Chinese researchers have developed a multifunctional electrode coating that addresses key challenges in long-term brain-computer interface (BCI) implantation, including signal loss and tissue adhesion, bringing BCI one step closer to clinical application, the Global Times learned from the research team behind the findings on Sunday. 
As an emerging field combining neuroscience and artificial intelligence (AI), BCI faces a major challenge of ensuring long-term compatibility between electrodes and brain tissue. Previous clinical trials showed that immune responses could cause implanted electrodes to retract after just three months, severely reducing signal quality and the number of available channels. 
This problem stems from chronic inflammation triggered by implants, which creates insulating scar tissue around electrodes and separates them from neurons. Irreversible adhesion between electrodes and brain tissue after long-term implantation also makes device removal risky, potentially causing brain injury during follow-up surgeries.
Experiments showed that flexible neural electrodes coated with this material could operate stably in the brain for more than 300 days and could be safely removed without causing damage. This means the universal coating technology can make electrodes not only operate stably over the long term but can also be safely removed and replaced after aging, paving the way for long-term BCI applications.
Developed by the research team led by Zhang Wei at the Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, associated with Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology and NeuroXess, a high-tech life science company specializing in BCI technologies, the cationic alternating peptide electrode coating preserves electrode flexibility and conductivity, while offering antibacterial, anti-protein adsorption and immune-rejection-inhibiting functions. 
A 300-day animal study showed the coating's effectiveness. Bare electrodes experienced a sharp loss of recording capability after 90 days of implantation and could barely detect neuronal signals after 300 days. In contrast, coated electrodes maintained stable recording channels and consistently captured neural signals above 155 microvolts. 
In terms of neural modulation, after 300 days of implantation, conventional electrodes required a current of 100 microamps to induce weak limb responses, while coated electrodes triggered clear movements with only 2 microamps, improving modulation efficiency by 50 times. 
Notably, the removal tests highlighted a key advantage of the coating that electrodes no longer form irreversible bonds with brain tissue. In the experiments, the coated electrodes were removed intact, with minimal damage to the surrounding brain tissue, Zhang told the Global Times on Sunday.
。         A fire breaks out at the construction site of the Amur Gas Chemical Complex (AGCC) in Russia's Far Eastern Amur Oblast on August 25, 2026. Photo: screenshot from a video in report by the Xinhua News AgencyA fire at the construction site of the Amur Gas Chemical Complex (AGCC) in Russia's Far Eastern Amur Oblast has left seven people dead, including one Russian national and 6 Chinese nationals, while 152 people were injured and nine workers remain missing, according to the latest information released by the company on Wednesday. A staff member from the Chinese Consulate General in Khabarovsk told the Global Times that the consulate has not yet independently confirmed the company's reported figure and is awaiting further updates from a working group it has sent to the site. 
The consulate will also provide all possible assistance in handling matters related to the Chinese nationals who lost their lives in the incident, the staff member said. 
According to the latest AGCC release on its official website on Wednesday, the bodies of four Chinese nationals, all employees of a contractor, were found during search and rescue operations. The discovery brought the confirmed death toll to seven, including one Russian national and six Chinese nationals.
The whereabouts of another nine Chinese nationals, also employees of a contractor, remain unknown, and search and rescue operations are continuing, the company release said.
In a phone interview with the Global Times on Wednesday, a staff member from the Chinese Consulate General said the consulate's working group is continuing to follow developments.
The staff member said the exact casualty figures were still being verified. Given the complexity of the situation at the site, the consulate is awaiting further information from its working group.
The working group will also coordinate follow-up matters, while the consulate will make every effort to provide the greatest possible assistance to the Chinese nationals who lost their lives and related parties, according to the staff member.
The company release said a total of 152 people had sought medical assistance following the incident. After medical examinations, 36 people were hospitalized with injuries of varying severity.
The fire at the AGCC construction site has been extinguished, while specialists are completing the controlled burning of residual process gases. An examination of the accident site has also begun, according to the release. 
According to company's website, the AGCC is a joint venture company between SIBUR and China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec) for the production of polyethylene and polypropylene. The complex is capable of producing 2.3 million tons of polyethylene and 0.4 million tons of polypropylene per year.
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