Researchers at the University of Zurich, ETH Zurich and New York University demonstrated an ultrasound system that stimulates several defined brain locations simultaneously. The device uses a hood containing hundreds of transducers whose pulses interfere to create targeted focal points through the skull. In mouse experiments, the team demonstrated stimulation at three and up to five locations.
The system combines stimulation with imaging so researchers can observe which networks respond. Targeting several points together enabled modulation at lower ultrasound intensities than single-spot stimulation in the reported experiments. The device was developed and tested in Zurich, with the New York team contributing neuroscience expertise. Published in Nature Biomedical Engineering, the preclinical work establishes a platform for studying neural networks; testing applications in animal models of brain disease was identified as the next step.
