MIT researchers build implantable device that uses ultrasound to improve brain cancer drug delivery

The LUCID implant combines a drug reservoir with miniature ultrasound transducers to help chemotherapy drugs spread deeper into the brain

By LineZotpaper AI staff

Published26 October 2026

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Illustration: MIT researchers build implantable device that uses ultrasound to improve brain cancer drug delivery

MIT researchers have designed an implantable drug-delivery device that uses ultrasound to help chemotherapy drugs spread farther through the brain, potentially improving treatment for the aggressive brain cancer glioblastoma. The device, called LUCID, can be implanted during tumour-removal surgery and wirelessly controlled to release drugs over an extended period while ultrasound enhances their distribution across the blood-brain barrier.

Glioblastoma is a rare but deadly cancer, with just over 10,000 cases diagnosed in the United States each year. Patients survive an average of 12 to 15 months after diagnosis. Standard treatment involves surgery to remove as much of the tumour as possible, followed by radiation and chemotherapy. However, it is difficult for surgeons to eliminate all cancer cells, and the tumour often recurs.

Researchers at MIT have now developed a flexible implant, as thin as a sheet of cardstock, that aims to prevent that recurrence. Named LUCID (Long-term Ultrasound-enhanced Convective Injection Device), it combines a 3D-printed drug-delivery cannula with an array of 24 miniature ultrasound transducers. The implant carries about 100 microlitres of fluid, delivered by a passive osmotic pump, while a small battery that can be recharged wirelessly powers the ultrasound array. A wireless controller, operated via Bluetooth, allows doctors to program the exact ultrasound dosage.

“We have 24 transducers in one ultrasound array, which can help a given drug bypass the blood-brain barrier and enhance the drug infusion. The device also gives doctors options in terms of the size, the length, and the number of infusions,” said Canan Dagdeviren, an associate professor of media arts and sciences at MIT and senior author of the study, published today in the journal Device.

The ultrasound waves create mechanical oscillations that temporarily increase the permeability of the blood-brain barrier and generate convective flows, helping drug molecules travel farther into brain tissue. In tests using a gel-like material that mimics human tissue, the researchers found that ultrasound-aided delivery spread drug molecules much farther than delivery without ultrasound. They also tested the system in mice, where a delivered contrast agent spread further through the brain when the ultrasound array was activated.

“Getting a drug into the brain is only part of the challenge. It also needs to spread through the surrounding tissue. We brought a delivery channel and a tiny ultrasound array together in one implant to help molecules reach a larger area, even during slow infusion,” said Jason Hou, a co-lead author and PhD graduate.

If developed for patients, the drug cannula and ultrasound array would sit inside the skull, while the battery and electronics would rest outside. The researchers say the technology could also be adapted to deliver immunotherapies, nucleic acids, or gene therapies, and could potentially be used in organs other than the brain.

“We started with the brain as a follow-up to our ImPULS technology, but eventually this can be used for other soft tissue treatments for different types of drugs, different types of interventions in deep body tissue,” Dagdeviren said. “We are showing that we can make any kind of payload be distributed in a better way.”

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Analysis

Why This Matters

Glioblastoma is notoriously difficult to treat, and recurrence after surgery is common. A device that delivers drugs directly to the brain and uses ultrasound to improve their spread could extend survival and reduce side effects.
The LUCID implant offers programmable, wireless control, which could allow doctors to tailor treatment timing and dosage to each patient's needs.
If the technology works in humans, it could be adapted for other brain conditions and even other organs, opening a new approach to localised drug delivery.

Background

Glioblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumour in adults. The blood-brain barrier, a protective layer of cells lining the brain's blood vessels, prevents many drugs from reaching the brain in effective concentrations. Implantable drug-delivery wafers and hydrogels already exist, but they rely on passive diffusion and offer limited control over release timing. Ultrasound has been studied as a way to temporarily open the blood-brain barrier and enhance drug movement, but combining it with a long-term implantable device is new.

What to Watch

Further preclinical testing, including safety and efficacy studies in larger animal models, will be needed before human trials can begin.
The researchers plan to explore whether the device can deliver immunotherapies and gene therapies, which could broaden its use.
Clinical adoption will depend on regulatory approvals and the ability to manufacture the device reliably at scale.

Sources

Implantable device uses ultrasound to improve drug delivery to the brain · MIT News

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 8 supported.

Show each claim

SupportedMIT researchers built an implantable device that uses ultrasound to improve drug delivery for brain cancer.MIT News: “MIT researchers have now designed an implantable drug-delivery device that they hope could help prevent recurrence of glioblastoma. Their device contains a reservoir that can release drugs over an extended period, along with ultrasound transducers that use sound waves to help drugs spread farther through the brain”
Partly supportedThe LUCID implant combines a drug reservoir with miniature ultrasound transducers to help chemotherapy drugs spread deeper through the brain.MIT News: “Their device contains a reservoir that can release drugs over an extended period, along with ultrasound transducers that use sound waves to help drugs spread farther through the brain”
Partly supportedThe device can be implanted during tumour-removal surgery.MIT News: “Such a device could be implanted in the brain during surgery, then gradually release drugs that would help kill the remaining tumor cells.”
Partly supportedThe device is wirelessly controlled to release drugs over an extended period.MIT News: “The implant’s reservoir carries about 100 microliters of fluid, and infusion is supplied by a passive osmotic pump, while ultrasound can be controlled wirelessly through Bluetooth.”
Not in the sourcesThe implant’s small battery powers the ultrasound array.MIT News: “The device also contains a small battery that can be recharged wirelessly.”
SupportedCanan Dagdeviren said: “We have 24 transducers in one ultrasound array, which can help a given drug bypass the blood-brain barrier and enhance the drug infusion. The device also gives doctors options in terms of the size, the length, and the number of infusions,”MIT News: ““We have 24 transducers in one ultrasound array, which can help a given drug bypass the blood-brain barrier and enhance the drug infusion. The device also gives doctors options in terms of the size, the length, and the number of infusions,” says Canan Dagdeviren, an associate professor of media arts and sciences at MIT and the senior author of the study.”
SupportedJust over 10,000 glioblastoma cases are diagnosed in the United States each year.MIT News: “Glioblastoma is a rare but deadly cancer, with a little more than 10,000 cases diagnosed in the United States per year.”
SupportedPatients survive an average of 12 to 15 months after diagnosis.MIT News: “On average, patients survive 12 to 15 months after diagnosis.”
SupportedUltrasound waves temporarily increase the blood-brain barrier’s permeability and generate convective flows that help drug molecules travel farther into brain tissue.MIT News: “Previous research has shown that ultrasound helps drug molecules to disperse more widely, by creating convective flows that help travel them longer distances. The mechanical oscillations generated by ultrasound waves also temporarily increase the permeability of the blood-brain barrier, helping drug molecules get into the brain.”
SupportedIn a gel-like tissue model, ultrasound-aided delivery spread drug molecules much farther than delivery without ultrasound.MIT News: “In tests in a “tissue phantom” — a gel-like material engineered to mimic human tissue — the researchers showed that ultrasound-aided delivery spread drug molecules much farther than when the drugs were delivered without ultrasound.”
SupportedJason Hou said: “Getting a drug into the brain is only part of the challenge. It also needs to spread through the surrounding tissue. We brought a delivery channel and a tiny ultrasound array together in one implant to help molecules reach a larger area, even during slow infusion,”MIT News: ““Getting a drug into the brain is only part of the challenge. It also needs to spread through the surrounding tissue. We brought a delivery channel and a tiny ultrasound array together in one implant to help molecules reach a larger area, even during slow infusion,” says Hou.”
SupportedThe technology could be used to deliver immunotherapies or nucleic acids, including gene therapies, and could potentially be used in organs other than the brain.MIT News: “In addition to delivering small-molecule drugs, this technology could also be used to deliver immunotherapies or nucleic acids, including gene therapies. It could also be potentially used in organs other than the brain.”