A scientist from Kolkata who previously studied electronics in Dhanbad is now at the forefront of a discovery that has the potential to completely change the course of brain treatments globally. Deblina Sarkar, a former student of IIT who an assistant professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is currently, has revealed a medical breakthrough that could potentially eliminate the need for brain surgery.
Circulatronics, a platform that utilises tiny electronic devices that flow through the bloodstream to reach diseased parts of the brain. It also implants themselves without a single surgical cut. This breakthrough was developed by Deblina Sarkar and her team at MIT Nano-Cybernetic Biotrek Lab. SWEDs (Sub-cellular Wireless Electronic Devices), tiny chips that can pass through blood vessels, breach the blood-brain barrier and provide precise therapeutic electrical stimulation where it is needed. This is the technology at the centre of this system.
Debalina Sarkar and her team recently published their work in Nature Biotechnology. It is the result of a six-year interdisciplinary collaboration among Harvard University, Wellesley College, and MIT. Circulatronics could significantly increase access to cutting-edge neurological care for billions of people if it is successful in human testing.
What Exactly Is Circulatronics?
1. SWEDs- The Tiny Brain Implants
Organic semiconducting polymers are layered between thin metallic layers to create ultra-small electronic devices called SWEDs. They are strong enough to provide the brain with electrical stimulation at the nanowatt level, but they are small enough to fit on a blood cell.
Important characteristics consist of:
- Wireless power harvesting: When subjected to near-infrared (NIR) light, which may pass through the skull, they produce electricity.
- Extreme miniaturisation: They can pass through the circulatory system without obstructing it because of their small size.
- Precision targeting: They enable extremely focused neuromodulation of deep brain areas by only activating when externally stimulated.
2. Monocyte Fusion- The Delivery Vehicle
Researchers combine SWEDs with monocytes, which are immune cells that naturally cross the blood–brain barrier and travel toward inflammatory locations, to direct them to the appropriate brain regions. Numerous neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer’s, stroke, multiple sclerosis, depression, brain tumours, and chronic pain, are characterised by inflammation. Circulatronics ensures the devices are delivered precisely where treatment is required by utilising the body’s “biological GPS system.” The monocyte-SWED hybrids attach themselves to the tissue once they reach the afflicted region. The devices are activated by an external laser that precisely stimulates neighbouring neurons.
How Was the Technology Tested?
Debalina Sarkar and her team carried out the experiments in two stages using mice.
Phase 1: Delivery Testing
In a deep brain region, researchers artificially produced a small inflammatory area. The bloodstream was infused with the hybrid cells. Many SWEDs had successfully penetrated the blood-brain barrier and self-implanted at the target after 72 hours.
Phase 2: Stimulation Testing
The mice were subjected to non-invasive NIR laser light after the devices were installed. To verify successful stimulation, the scientists searched for c-Fos, a protein indicator of brain activation. The findings revealed:
- A large quantity of brain cells that are active
- Activation is only permitted within 30 μm of the disease location.
Why Does This Breakthrough Matters?
By removing the need for invasive brain surgery, which currently carries risks of infection, tissue damage, high costs and limited accessibility in low-resource settings, circulatronics represents a significant advancement in neuromodulation, the therapeutic use of electrical impulses for conditions like Parkinson’s, depression, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, and chronic pain. Instead, a new technique makes it possible to administer microscopic SWED implants via a straightforward injection, significantly lowering surgical risks and recuperation times while increasing access to modern neurological care for the 3 billion individuals worldwide who suffer from brain illnesses. Its wireless, battery-free operation using near-infrared light prevents recurrent surgical interventions, and its monocyte-guided distribution provides extraordinary precision by focusing only on sick or inflammatory regions. Circulatronics is positioned not only as a device but also as a flexible medical platform with wide-ranging ramifications, as the platform opens doors to broader applications outside neurology, such as cardiac pacemakers, organ-specific therapies, synthetic electronic neurons and even cancer treatment.
Challenges and Limitations
Circulatronics raises ethical and scientific concerns, just like any early medical advancement.
- Thus far, all experiments have been conducted on mice. Inflammatory profiles, brain environs and human immune systems are much more intricate.
- Controlling the precise location where SWEDs concentrate will require careful refinement because inflammation can occur in many parts of the body.
- Even though NIR can penetrate the skull, it is necessary to assess the depth and consistency of effective stimulation across various skull thicknesses.
- Regulatory and Ethical Obstacles: Activation at a distance, data security, informed consent, and potential misuse in the future.
Future Pathway
Deblina Sarkar hopes to get Circulatronics into clinical trials in three years through a new MIT spin-off called Cahira Technologies. The future of brain treatment may be non-surgical, accurate and easily accessible, but commercial availability may take nearly ten years.
If successful, this discovery from a Dhanbad-trained IIT graduate could rank among the century’s most significant medical advances, quietly ushering in the era of injectable neuroscience.
Glossary:
Circulatronics: An area of technological study which uses tiny electronic devices that travel through the bloodstream to diagnose or treat diseases without surgery.
Nano-Cybernetic Biotrek Lab: A research lab at MIT that develops microscopic electronic systems intended to function inside the human body.
SWEDs (Sub-cellular Wireless Electronic Devices):
Ultra-small wireless electronic chips, smaller than a single cell which can be injected into the body to monitor or stimulate biological activity.
Blood Vessels: Tubes such as arteries, veins, and capillaries carrying blood across the body.
Organic Semiconducting Polymers: A plastic-like material that conducts electricity and is safe to use inside the body for medical devices.
Nanowatt: An extremely tiny unit of power. Devices that operate on nanowatts consume significantly less energy than typical electronics.
Circulatory System: The body system made up of the heart and blood vessels that transports blood, oxygen and nutrients everywhere.
Near-Infrared (NIR) Light: A type of invisible light that safely passes through skin and tissue, often used to power tiny medical implants from outside the body.
Blood Cell: The microscopic cells that travel through your bloodstream, such as red blood cells (carry oxygen) and white blood cells (fight infections).
Neuromodulation: A technique that uses electrical signals to change or improve the activity of brain or nerve cells to treat disorders.
Monocyte: A type of white blood cell that naturally travels to sites of infection or inflammation.
Parkinson’s: A brain disorder that causes tremors, stiffness, and difficulty with movement.
Epilepsy: A neurological condition where bursts of abnormal electrical activity in the brain cause seizures.
Circulatory System: The body system made up of the heart and blood vessels that transports blood, oxygen and nutrients everywhere.
Near-Infrared (NIR) Light: A type of invisible light that safely passes through skin and tissue, often used to power tiny medical implants from outside the body.
Blood Cell: The microscopic cells that travel through your bloodstream, such as red blood cells (carry oxygen) and white blood cells (fight infections).
Neuromodulation: A technique that uses electrical signals to change or improve the activity of brain or nerve cells to treat disorders.
Monocyte: A type of white blood cell that naturally travels to sites of infection or inflammation.
Parkinson’s: A brain disorder that causes tremors, stiffness, and difficulty with movement.
Epilepsy: A neurological condition where bursts of abnormal electrical activity in the brain cause seizures.
Circulatory System: The body system made up of the heart and blood vessels that transports blood, oxygen and nutrients everywhere.
Near-Infrared (NIR) Light: A type of invisible light that safely passes through skin and tissue, often used to power tiny medical implants from outside the body.
Blood Cell: The microscopic cells that travel through your bloodstream, such as red blood cells (carry oxygen) and white blood cells (fight infections).
Neuromodulation: A technique that uses electrical signals to change or improve the activity of brain or nerve cells to treat disorders.
Monocyte: A type of white blood cell that naturally travels to sites of infection or inflammation.
Parkinson’s: A brain disorder that causes tremors, stiffness, and difficulty with movement.
Epilepsy: A neurological condition where bursts of abnormal electrical activity in the brain cause seizures.
Multiple Sclerosis (MS): A disease where the immune system attacks the protective covering of nerve cells, leading to problems with movement, vision, and coordination.
Neurology: The branch of medicine that studies the brain, nerves, and nervous system.
Cardiac Pacemakers: Small electronic devices that help control abnormal heart rhythms by sending tiny electrical signals to the heart.
Neurons: Nerve cells that send and receive electrical signals. They form the basic wiring of the brain and body.
Brain Environs: Everything that surrounds brain cells such as support cells, blood vessels, chemicals, and the protective layers that keeps the brain functioning properly.
Neuroscience: The study of the brain and nervous system, including how they work and how diseases affect them.
References:
Luke Dormehl, “Injectable Brain Chips Promise Surgery-Free Treatment for Neurological Disease,” New Atlas, February 18, 2025, https://newatlas.com/brain/mit-injectable-brain-chips-treat-disease/.
The Economic Times, “Kolkata-Born IITian Invents an Injectable Chip That Can Treat Diseases without Surgery: Who Is MIT Researcher Deblina Sarkar?,” The Economic Times, February 18, 2025, https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/kolkata-born-iitian-invents-an-injectable-chip-that-can-treat-diseases-without-surgery-who-is-mit-researcher-deblina-sarkar/articleshow/125365480.cms?from=mdr.
Clear Cut Research Desk
New Delhi, UPDATED: Nov 26, 2025 02:30 IST
Written By: Nidhi Chandrikapure
