A tiny device that blocks severe pain caused by nerve damage is set to be implanted in sufferers of the condition within five to ten years, according to its creators from Linköping University (LiU) and Karolinska Institutet (KI) in Sweden.

The device, known as an ion pump, uses organic electronics to deliver precise doses of the body’s own pain alleviators by converting electronic signals into biochemical ones.

This enables it to accurately block the pain signals from reaching the brain, and removes the need for pain medication that often carries unpleasant or even risky side-effects.

“The ion pump can be likened to a pacemaker, except for alleviating pain,” said LiU Professor Magnus Berggren, who led the research.

The ion pump, which has already been successfully demonstrated in rats, sends neurotransmitters – the body’s own charged molecules that alleviate pain – to the precise area where the damaged nerves connect with the spinal cord.

The neurotransmitter in question, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), normally works in the central nervous system to block stimuli such as pain, making it ideal for use for this purpose.

This stops the pain signals from ever getting to the brain, an achievement that will no-doubt be life changing for suffers of chronic pain.

At present, the research has focused on alleviating pain from nerves connecting to the spine, making its primary focus back pain, but the researchers believe that the ion pump could also be used to directly target both the brain and other parts of the body.

The research, which has been published in the open-access journal Science Advances after a decade of work, is significant because of its use of organic electronics.

“What’s unique is that we’re using organic electronics to send the body’s own chemical signals. The organic materials are easily accepted by the body, and they communicate just as in biology – with charged ions,” explained LiU Assistant Professor Daniel Simon.

The pump also represents a key breakthrough in implantable organic electronics, a fact that the scientists highlighted in their research paper.

“To the best of our knowledge, this work illustrates the first use of an implantable organic electronic device for therapeutic purposes in a living, awake, and freely moving animal,” they said.

While the research is undoubtedly some way away from being implanted into humans, the researchers are extremely positive about its prospects, with LiU giving a five to ten year timeline for its entry into clinical use.