VOA慢速英语2016 微型仪器可从内部研究人类大脑

AS IT IS 2016-09-25 Tiny Devices for Studying the Brain From the Inside 微型仪器可从内部研究人类大脑

In the future, very small wireless 1 devices could be placed inside human brains to study and stimulate 2 brain cells.

在未来，非常小的无线设备可以放置在人类大脑中，用于研究和刺激脑细胞。

That is the goal of researchers at the University of California, Berkeley.University researchers have created extremely small sensors 4, called neural 5 dust,to study brain cells.The word neural describes something related to the body’s nervous system.

这是加州大学伯克利分校研究人员们的目标。该校研究人员已经开发了名为“神经微尘”的微型传感器来研究脑细胞。“神经”的意思是与人体神经系统有关的事情。

The researchers hope these sensors will treat conditions of the brain such as epilepsy.The sensors also could improve the brain’s control of the devices used to replace missing or injured parts of the body, called prosthetics.

研究人员希望这些传感器可以治疗癫痫之类的脑部疾病。这些传感器也可以促进大脑对义肢的控制——义肢就是用来代替身体缺失部分的装置。

In 2003, Jan Scheuermann permanently 6 lost the ability to move her arms and legs because of a disease called spinocerebellar degeneration.But she was able to feed herself using a robotic hand controlled by her thoughts in 2012.

2003年，因为一种叫作脊髓小脑萎缩症的疾病，简·舒尔曼永久失去了移动手臂和腿的能力。但是在2012年，她可以利用一只用思维控制的机械手来喂自己吃饭。

Doctors connected a sensor 3 to her brain using wires.The sensor received the commands from her brain and sent them to the robotic device.

医生用电线将传感器和她的大脑连了起来。这些传感器接受来自大脑的指令，又把指令传送到机械装置上。

Wires, however, can cause inflammation in the brain.University of California engineers hope to replace the technology Scheuermann used in 2012 with neural dust sensors.These sensors are smaller than a single piece of rice and use no wires.

但是，电线可能会引起脑部发炎。加州大学的工程师们希望能够用“神经微尘”传感器来替代舒尔曼在2012年使用的技术。这些传感器比一粒米还小，并且不用电线。

Instead, the wireless sensors change high-frequency sound waves,transmitted by a device outside the body, into electricity.

这些无线传感器把体外装置传输的高频声波换成了电流。

The electricity powers the sensors that can identify changes in the muscles or nerves to which they are attached.Finally the sensors send this information back to the device that first sent the sound waves.

电流给传感器提供动力，这样传感器就能够识别与之相连的肌肉或者神经的变化。最终传感器把信息传回最初发送声波的装置中。

Researchers attached neural dust sensors to nerves and muscles in the legs of rats and studied the signals the sensors produced.

研究人员把“神经微尘”传感器连接到小白鼠腿部的肌肉和神经上，研究传感器发出的信号。

The scientists hope to place neural dust directly into the brain in the future.They want to study brain function and hope the sensors will make it possible for people to use robotic prosthetics without being connected to a computer through wires.

科学家希望未来能把“神经微尘”直接放置到大脑中。他们希望能够研究大脑的功能，希望传感器能够让人们在使用与电脑相连的机械义肢时，不需要电线。

Michael Maharbiz is one of the University of California researchers working on the technology.He says these new kinds of prosthetics could take many forms and serve many different functions.

迈克尔·马哈比斯是加州大学研究这个项目团队的一员。他说这些新型义肢可以用多种形式呈现，也可以代替肢体的多种不同功能。

He also says neural dust could operate in a similar way to devices called Fitbits.Fitbits are worn on a person’s arm.They monitor physical activity as well as body functions such as heart rate.

他还说，“神经微尘”可以和运动手环采取类似的运作方式。运动手环是戴在胳膊上的。它们可以在运动的时候监测心率等人体状况。

Maharbiz says neural dust could act like a Fitbit inside the body that monitors nerve,muscle and organ activity as it is taking place.However, the sensors must be made even smaller to use in the brain.Scientists now are working to create neural dust that is thinner than a piece of human hair.

马哈比斯说“神经微尘”可以像运动手环一样在人体内部实时监控神经、肌肉和器官的活动。但是，传感器必须造得再小一点才能在脑中使用。科学家们现在正在致力于开发比一根头发丝还细的“神经微尘”装置。

Words in This Story

stimulate – v. to make something more active

sensor – n. a device that can sense light, heat, sound, motion and provide information about it

Inflammation – n. swelling 7 of tissue

high-frequency – adj. waves that occur very quickly

function – n. a purpose or activity done by someone or something

monitor – v. to observe, to watch or record