The Conformable Decoders group has developed LUCID (Long-term Ultrasound-enhanced Convective Injection Device), a new implantable platform that combines controlled drug infusion with miniature ultrasound technology to enhance the distribution of therapeutics within the brain.

LUCID integrates a 3D-printed drug-delivery cannula directly onto an array of 24 miniature ultrasound transducers. The flexible implant, approximately as thin as a sheet of cardstock, delivers therapeutic substances locally while ultrasound generated at the infusion site helps molecules travel farther through surrounding tissue and can temporarily increase permeability of the blood-brain barrier.

The system builds upon previous technologies developed by the Conformable Decoders group, including an ultrathin implantable drug-delivery cannula and ImPULS, an implantable ultrasound platform for deep-brain neuromodulation.

In tissue models and mouse studies, activating the ultrasound array increased the distribution of delivered molecules compared with infusion alone. The technology may ultimately provide a new strategy for delivering therapies following glioblastoma surgery, with broader potential applications in immunotherapy, gene therapy, and drug delivery to other soft tissues.

The research was led by Sarah Ornellas and Jason Hou PhD ’26 and senior-authored by Prof. Canan Dagdeviren.

Read the full MIT News story.