Flexible high-resolution thin-film electrodes to improve epilepsy diagnosis

Advancing Epilepsy Diagnosis with Flexible, High-Resolution Thin-Film Electrodes

NIH-funded research New York University School of Medicine · NIH-11031282

Using flexible, very thin brain electrodes to help people with focal epilepsy whose seizure sources are hard to find.

Quick facts

Grant typeNIH-funded research
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionNew York University School of Medicine NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (New York, United States)
Project IDNIH-11031282 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

You'll be offered a new kind of flexible, thin electrode that can be placed on or near the brain to record seizures across a wider area with finer detail than current devices. The team aims to turn modern thin-film technology into implantable electrodes designed to cause less pain, swelling, and inflammation than standard subdural grids while sampling broader regions than stereoEEG. This phased UG3/UH3 clinical project brings together surgeons, engineers, and industry partners at centers like NYU, Duke, and the University of Utah to test safety, signal quality, and implantation procedures. Device recordings would be used to more precisely locate seizure origins to guide safer, more effective epilepsy surgery.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: People with uncontrolled focal epilepsy whose seizure focus is poorly localized and who are being considered for invasive monitoring or epilepsy surgery.

Not a fit: People with generalized epilepsy, those who are not surgical candidates, or those unable or unwilling to undergo an implant procedure are unlikely to benefit from this project.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this could help patients with hard-to-localize focal epilepsy achieve long-term seizure freedom by improving seizure mapping and reducing surgical risks.

How similar studies have performed: Similar high-density and thin-film electrode approaches have shown promise in laboratory and early feasibility work, but broad clinical effectiveness remains to be proven.

Where this research is happening

New York, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.