Tinnitus is a general symptom, rather than a single disease, but the constant loud noise in the ear can be debilitating to many. So, to try to bring relief to tinnitus sufferers, and to prove their new simplified fabrication method of 3-D devices, two researchers at Wayne State University in Detroit have been awarded $330,000 from the National Science Foundation to build a 3-D neural probe. According to a release, the technology will integrate microchannels to deliver drugs and to electrically and chemically stimulate neurons in tinnitus sufferers. "It is very advantageous to integrate micro-channels that enable neurotransmitter-based chemical stimulation and local drug delivery to reduce or suppress tissue response, one of the major obstacles for successful chronic implantation," says researcher Yong Xu. Release