Scientists Create 'Jelly Battery' to Treat Brain Disease

Researchers at the University of Cambridge in the UK showed CBS News their creation, which they are calling a 'jelly battery.'

“With about five of these stuck together we can make the hydrogel power source,” Stephen O'Neil, PhD researcher at University of Cambridge told CBS News. “By mimicking the electric eel, we were able to make a power source out of these hydrogel materials which are soft and stretchy, sort of like our brains.”

It's pliable and durable and could potentially be implanted in the human body to run electrical currents, just like a slimy sea creature.

Some researchers say it could be useful in treating diseases of the brain .

“They can last over several days or weeks outputting power to power these devices for things like deep brain stimulation for trying to cure diseases like Parkinson's,” O’Neil said.

Others see the jelly being used to treat problems with joints.

With such a new concept, its potential could stretch on and on.

Related Stories